The Way It Could Have Been
by MoonSword1994
Summary: What if L had saved Light from the power and influence of the Death Note? How differently might have things turned out? This is a series of prompt-based one-shots exploring those very questions, starting from shortly after the Yotsuba arc and well beyond. Rated T for now but subject to change later.
1. Chapter 1

First Date

' _This is crazy, this is crazy,'_ Light thinks with slight exasperation as he attempts for the tenth time to make his hair presentable. Normally his light brown hair would just naturally fall into place, no effort required, but tonight it did not want to cooperate and this time he desperately needed it to obey. With a final flick of his hairbrush he tames his hair into submission, sighing contentedly when he sees that it did not start parting down the middle of his forehead like it had been doing before. He wonders, as he observes his appearance in the mirror, if L will realize exactly how difficult of a time he had been having with taming his hair and he starts to chuckle when he catches himself. The irony is unbelievable; ordinarily it is L whom has the unruly, uncooperative hair.

"I'll have to ask him if he had an easy time getting ready," Light says to himself quietly as he smoothens out his shirt, minimalizing the number of wrinkles he perceives is there. Logically he knows he should not be nervous, this would not be the first time he has been alone in L's company, nor would it be the first time they were out in public together. This would, however, be their first actual date. What makes this night even more of a surprise is the fact it had been L whom had asked him out when he had just been working up the nerve to ask the detective out himself. It was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

"Light, are you almost done in there?" asks Sayu through the closed bathroom door. "You've been in there for over an hour already."

Light shakes his head slightly as he makes sure one last time that nothing about his appearance has changed in the last few seconds. "Yeah, I'm almost done, just another minute."

"God, you spend more time in there than most girls do," she huffs and he can hear her footsteps retreating away from the door. While he is glad to be back home after spending so much time at Task Force headquarters, he did miss the solitude and quiet his private apartment there offered, even with the security cameras and wiretaps he knew L had installed. Being home was familiar but at the same time it was foreign, he had to readjust to the routine after having his own for such a long time and it was strange not seeing L every day like before. He smiles as he remembers the detective reaching the same conclusion he had.

* * *

' _Light, telephone for you!' called his mother from the living room and Light stopped typing his daily report for L and waited for his mother to bring him the phone so he could take the call that had so rudely interrupted his train of thought._

' _Who is it?' he asked his mom as he took the receiver from her hand._

 _Sachiko smiled at him as she let go of the phone. 'Your friend from school, he said you were expecting his call.'_

 _Light did not argue with his mother and he kindly motioned for her to leave his room so he could have some privacy which she did so without another word. When he was sure she was gone and the door was closed he put the phone to his ear. 'Light Yagami speaking,' said Light formally._

' _Light, it's good to speak with you again,' came L's dulcet tones through the phone and down Light's spine in a pleasant chill._

' _Ryuzaki,' he said in a soft whisper, a smile etching itself across his face. 'Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise, I thought you didn't communicate with any of the investigators outside of an investigation.'_

' _Normally I don't,' replied L and Light could practically see the smirk on his thin lips. 'But I am always willing to make an exception every now and then. There's something I wish to discuss with you actually and I would rather we did not do it over the phone.'_

' _Then why'd you call?' asked Light slightly annoyed with the detective's unusual etiquette._

 _There was silence on the other end and for a moment Light thought that L had hung up on him until he heard what sounded like a throat being cleared._

' _I called because I wanted to hear your voice,' admitted L softly and Light's heart was pounding so hard he thought it would break free of his chest. 'Please say you'll meet with me, Light, I . . . I am desperate for your company.'_

 _Light was stunned, he had not expected this turn of events but he remained cautious, this was L after all and he could simply be asking for someone to consult with and not asking for a date. 'Ryuzaki,' said Light, knowing that if he wanted a straight answer he would have to be direct. 'Are you asking me on a date?'_

 _Again there was silence though Light could hear L's gentle breathing on the other end of the line. 'Yes,' replied L and Light's stomach flipped. 'I cannot deny my physical and mental attraction to you any longer, if I do, there is a definite possibility that I will go mad. I will understand, however, if you do not wish to pursue this lead and would rather maintain a professional relationship.'_

' _Not a chance,' laughed Light. 'I'd be honored to go out with you; actually I was trying to work up the nerve to ask you out myself.'_

' _Then I'm glad I took the initiative,' said L smugly. 'Otherwise we would still both be sitting here without plans for Friday night.'_

Light rolls his eyes slightly; even in memory L's superiority annoyed him. He looks back at his reflection and gives himself an approving nod, finally satisfied with his appearance after what must have been hours. Before he can change his mind about his outfit or jump in the shower to wash off the questionable amount of cologne, he leaves the washroom.

* * *

When he arrives downstairs he sees both his mother and sister sitting on the couch, their excitement barely contained when he appears. For a moment he is sure they are going to start cheering but his mother simply stands up and gives him a bone crushing hug, thoroughly embarrassing him.

"I'm so happy for you," she gushes as she releases her near-death grip on his torso. "It's been so long since you've been out with anyone, I was starting to think you'd write off relationships completely. Can you tell me now who you're going out with?"

Light shakes his head. "Sorry, Mom, but I'm not at liberty to divulge that information. And don't even try interrogating Dad, he doesn't know either."

"Please, Light?" begs Sayu as she leaps from the couch. "Just a little hint?"

"Okay, I guess one hint won't hurt," says Light with a sly grin. "It's someone I've worked very closely with over the last few months."

Sayu is silent for a moment as she mulls over Light's clue and her eyes shine. "It's Misa! You're seeing her again?! Wow, that's great, she's such a sweetie and totally your type, Light. I can see why you really can't say anything, there'd be too much publicity and all that."

"Sure, Sayu, whatever you say," sighs Light. He decides it would be better to just let her believe what she wanted to, there was no reason to tell her the truth, that would be much more complicated. He is not ashamed of whom he is seeing, if anything he is thrilled, but trying to explain in vague terms exactly how he knows L and what they have done together would be the more difficult part. He can hardly tell his family that he is going on a date with the world famous detective L.

"Light!" shrieks Sayu, interrupting his thoughts. "There's a limo outside and an older gentleman coming to the door!" She seems far more excited for this date than he is.

"I'll answer it then," says Light, tactfully cutting in front of Sayu just as the doorbell chimes. He opens the door and just as he surmised, Watari is standing there, impeccably dressed as always.

"Mr. Yagami, a pleasure to see you again," says Watari pleasantly and he bows slightly. "Are you ready to leave?"

Light bows in return. "Yes, and it's great to see you again as well, Watari. I'll be with you in a moment, I just have to say good bye first."

"Don't worry about that," insists Sayu with her hands on his back, practically pushing him out the door. "Just go and have a good time, heck, don't even bother coming home! We'll just wait for the wedding invitation."

"Sayu, please calm down," says Sachiko in a firm yet gentle voice and Sayu stops pushing on Light's back. "Light, do have a good time, but if you don't plan on being home tonight just call to let me know."

"Of course," says Light and he turns around quickly to hug his mother then he hugs his sister despite her annoying behavior earlier. When he is done, he follows Watari down the concrete walk and to the limousine where he is sure L is waiting crouched in the backseat.

Watari opens the rear door and Light slides in gracefully right beside the object of his affections; the man in question is currently sitting with a forked strawberry precariously perched between his thumb and index finger. When Light settles in next to him, L looks up and gives him a small, genuine smile. Seeing his smile causes a pleasant sensation to pool in Light's belly, and he eagerly returns it.

"It's good to see you," says L softly before taking the strawberry into his mouth, a thin red trail of juice sliding down the corner of his mouth. Against his alabaster skin the trail looks like blood and Light is quick to wipe it away, a cold chill creeping up his spine as his mind conjures a less than welcome picture of L's lifeless body sprawled on the floor.

' _So much could've gone wrong that day,'_ he thinks, remembering the pinnacle moment not too long ago when he could have lost everything, including L.

Though he no longer retains it physically, knowledge of the Death Note is still prominent in his mind, having regained ownership of it when Higuchi was executed for his crimes. L had arranged it so he would, after a lengthy talk with Rem about the rules surrounding the Death Note, making the Shinigami promise that Light would not be killed if Misa were cleared of all suspicion. The Shinigami agreed and left without further incident, likely back to the Shinigami realm. When that had been taken care of, L had instructed Light to find where he had hidden the second notebook and bring it to headquarters where they burned it in place of the one that had been in Higuchi's possession. L had hidden the first notebook someplace only he knew of, so Light would not be tempted. Afterwards, he redirected the Task Force to working on newer cases, citing that since there had been no new killings from Kira in weeks, it would be prudent to work on other things. Light would forever be grateful to L for what he had done.

"You have yet to ask where we are headed, Light," says L, bringing Light from his thoughts. "Are you not curious?"

"Of course I am," laughs Light as he casually puts his arm around L's shoulders. "I just know better than to try and get a straight answer out of you."

"So you are learning," mutters L more to himself than to Light, but he hears him anyway. "I suspected as much, given how thorough your reports are, especially compared to Matsuda's. I was right that day when I said you'd make a fine detective."

Light sighs and shakes his head in amusement, sometimes he is sure he knows L's mind and others he has no idea what the detective is saying half of the time. "Alright, enough business talk, I thought this was supposed to be a date."

"And it is," replies L, his dark grey orbs now on Light. "I was just making small talk, isn't that what's supposed to happen on a date? Small talk in a car and over a dinner of Northern Italian cuisine in order to get better acquainted?"

"Yes, but given the fact we worked and lived together for almost six months, I'd say we can safely move past that phase," says Light, his fingertips brushing against L's shoulder. "I hope I didn't ruin your dinner plans."

"Of course not," says L and Light can tell he is speaking honestly. "If anything, such an arrangement would be too cliché for you and I, given our personalities and preferences. For tonight, I have arranged something more suitable."

"Now you've got me curious," says Light, and he settles himself into the plush leather seat, anticipating a long drive to wherever L had decided.

"Good, I would be disappointed if you were not," retorts L, as best as he can in his crouched position he rests himself against Light and closes his eyes.

* * *

The drive does not last as long as Light had suspected, less than an hour after picking him up Watari stops the limousine and through the divider Light can hear him roll down the window. There are very few places in Japan that would require Watari to input anything before parking the car, and guessing from the length of time they are stopped, Light is sure they are back at Task Force headquarters. He is slightly disappointed at this revelation; he had been hoping L would take him someplace no one knew about or at the very least someplace only the two of them would genuinely appreciate.

"Are we there yet?" asks L, waking from his nap with a slight start.

"We're at headquarters," says Light pleasantly though it is difficult to keep the slight bitterness from his tone. _'Perhaps L had been serious about needing to speak with me in person,'_ thinks Light as Watari pulls the car through the garage doors.

L observes Light's reaction to being at headquarters once again and is not surprised to see him slightly upset; his reaction is undetectable to a normal person, as they would be distracted by the seemingly pleasant smile, but L knows better. He bites back the smirk threatening to break out, if he gives it away now, he will not be able to fully enjoy Light's surprise. It proves more difficult than he thought.

Watari parks the car and then gets out, heading over to Light's side of the car and opens the passenger door. "All of the preparations have been seen to, L," he says as the two men exit the car.

"Thank you very much, Watari," says L to his father figure as he takes Light's hand and moves him towards the elevator. "We should be home in a few hours, please call if the hour grows too late."

"Very well," says Watari and the elder gentleman headed towards a different door while Light and L went into the elevator.

When inside, L opens a small door on the console and presses a button Light had seen him press only once before and his stomach flips. They were headed to the roof; more specifically they were going to the helicopter pad. He is not afraid of flying or anything of that nature, quite the contrary, but the last time they had been in the helicopter was the night they arrested Higuchi and when he found the Death Note once again. He is more concerned about what this means regarding his status as a free man after all L always got his target.

"I assume you know where we're headed?" asks L, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "I hope you don't mind a night flight."

"Not at all," says Light convincingly though he cannot stop the shiver of fear that crawls over his skin. He is suspicious of whether or not L is going to arrest him, perhaps he thought him too dangerous to walk free anymore.

L gives him a small smile. "Good, as I recall you seemed quite impressed with it the last time we were in it, I hope the novelty hasn't worn off yet."

' _No, but the novelty of freedom is starting to,'_ thinks Light as the elevator comes to a stop on the designated floor. Together they exit and L guides him over to the nearest helicopter, opening the door for him so the young man is able to enter without difficulty. L follows him inside and maneuvers himself so he is in the pilot's seat once again, when he is settled he begins pressing a sequence of buttons whose purpose Light can only begin to fathom. The detective hands him a headset and silently instructs him to put them on, which he does though he is having some serious déjà vu. Suddenly a hangar door opens just as the helicopter comes to life then L gently guides the machine out of the building and they fly off into the night sky.

"This is incredible," whispers Light as he admires the incredible view of the city below. "I didn't pay much attention last time, but this is beyond imagining."

"I'm glad you like it," says L as he flips a switch on the console. "I've wanted to show you this for some time now, but I wasn't sure you'd understand its significance. At least, not at first."

"I'm not sure I'm understanding it now, to be perfectly honest," admits Light as he looks down at the cars below.

"This is the big picture," says L simply as he flies them higher. "Everything we've done, and all that we're going to do has a direct impact on all of this, and I thought after all you've been through you needed to see this. I know you wanted to change the world by systematically eliminating criminals but I hope you can see that that's not the way; we must have balance. Those who fight for justice cannot stoop to the same levels as the people they are battling; otherwise we are left with chaos. If our world tumbled further into chaos, this beautiful view would not be possible as the situation would be completely different; the people, society, politics, all of it would be drastically altered."

Light listens to L's explanation with rapt attention, he understands what he is saying and even agrees with him, yet he still cannot shake his ideals about justice and the world completely. To him, the world is still rotting and there are people whom are just wasting resources simply by existing, although he no longer wanted to take such drastic actions against them. It is satisfying to know he had at least made some change in the world.

"I see your point," says Light honestly and without a second thought, he reaches over and covers L's hand with his. "Is this what you wanted to discuss with me?"

L shakes his head much to Light's surprise. "Look under your seat."

Light manages to suppress his surprise and leans down to check what L had placed under his seat, intrigued when he feels his fingers brush against what felt like a velvet covered box and he pulls it out. Indeed it is a box wrapped in dark green velvet and when Light opens it, he almost drops it in shock; inside is a beautiful gold Rolex with four diamonds on the face. With trembling hands he takes the watch out of the box then looks at L only to find the detective is already looking at him.

"What's this for?" he asks, his voice soft and unsure.

"I wanted to discuss something important with you," replies L cryptically. "I realized after you left headquarters to return home and to school, I was incredibly lonely and though I attempted to remedy this problem by taking on new cases, nothing eased that feeling. I started to notice that every time I received some kind of correspondence from you, my heart rate increased and the feeling became a little lighter. I knew my solution was to have you again at my side."

"So you're bribing me with a Rolex?" asks Light incredulously. "L, if you'd have just asked, I'd have said yes."

"I know that," says L softly, and then he reaches across and takes his hand. "The watch is not a bribe, Light, it is . . . part of my proposal. I thought about a ring but you hardly wear jewelry."

Light stares at him wide-eyed in shock, unable to actually believe what L is saying. "L . . . are you asking me to marry you?"

"I'm asking for a partnership," he says, squeezing his hand. "I don't want some housewife nor do I want a trophy, I want a partner in both business and pleasure. I love you, Light Yagami, and I'll understand completely if you reject me as you have every reason to."

L is right, he does have every reason to tell him no and ask him to take him home, but Light knows better than that. He had been trying to deny his attraction and feelings for the detective since he first recognized them some months ago, thinking it impossible to ever be with him. Light had tried to date other people, to forget about the dark haired, sweets-loving detective whose intellect matched his own but his heart was persistent. Now he is in the exact moment he had been dreaming of for weeks and he has but one answer for the detective.

"Yes," says Light and he leans forward, pressing his lips against L's in a soft yet passionate kiss. He is amazed how soft L's lips actually are, he had thought they would be chapped and dry, what amazes him more is feeling L kiss him back with equal need and passion. In the back of Light's mind, he is aware of the irony of the situation; he had been concerned with L finally ensnaring him yet he had not suspected this would happen, though he knew he should have. L always got his target.


	2. Chapter 2

Lonely

Light pours himself a cup of coffee, the aroma of the freshly ground beans still lingers in the air as he mixes in two sugar cubes; he normally has his coffee black but every since he and L married, he has taken a liking to it being a little sweeter. Though he still cannot compete with L's sweet tooth. With a small sigh at the thought of his absent husband, Light picks up his mug of coffee and plate with his freshly buttered English muffin then heads to the living room to watch the news and read some case files. His daily routine since L last was here.

The news holds nothing interesting for the young detective, no breaking stories about any of the cases he or L is working on, and no news about whether or not the Great Detective is dead. Light frowns as he turns the volume down and opens the nearest file, lately the only way he has been able to get any news on L's whereabouts was through the news and only when they report that a case has been solved. Otherwise he would have no idea where in the world he is right now, and the thought of never knowing makes Light's stomach twist. _'When L said he wanted a partner in business and pleasure, I thought he meant it,'_ he thinks bitterly as he scans a report from one of his partners. There is nothing in this report that Light had not thought about already, so he unceremoniously drops it back in the file and picks up a picture of the latest evidence. He unconsciously grinds his teeth as he examines the picture, his anger and frustration at L ever mounting as he thinks about how he always leaves.

Since they were married about a year and a half ago, they had spent a grand total of twenty-six days together at their apartment in Tokyo, where Light resides currently. L has been gone for more than 90% of their marriage and rarely does he send any sign that he is doing well or that he is coming home. Usually he will just show up unannounced with Watari in tow along with a suitcase full of gifts for Light and a detailed account of his most recent success. Light is well aware that the gifts are his way of making up for not being there, for missing so many important events, and while he is appreciative of the lavish things he would rather L not bring them. The apartment is full of trinkets L has brought home, all silent reminders of the man that seem to mock Light, constantly showing the truth to him; L is not home. On more than one occasion Light has considered breaking all of them and throwing them away so he will not have to be constantly taunted and can go on with life as if L simply were not in it. Though that would mean having to get rid of his Rolex, his "engagement ring" from L, and he could not bear to part with that. The watch meant more to him than just being an incredibly decadent piece of jewelry.

"Dammit, L, why can't you just stay home?" he says angrily to no one, his voice echoing off the lonely walls. He looks down at the picture in his hands and carelessly tosses it back into the folder, he is far too angry to actually focus on work right now, so he decides to go for a walk so he can clear his head.

* * *

The world is cold outside when Light emerges from the lobby of his apartment complex, and he heads off in no particular direction, hoping that the cold air can freeze his thoughts and possibly his heart. Sometimes he wishes that he did not love L as much as he does, he thinks that would make it easier when he left without saying goodbye or giving him any warning, then he realizes how stupid that thought is. Without L saving him, without him loving him, he would have been sucked back into the world of the Death Note and he is sure he would have likely died as a result. Light shivers, and not from the cold.

His wanderings take him past a park where a young woman is standing by a grove of trees as she watches a small boy play on one of the many playground pieces. Light finds this somewhat interesting so he sits on a bench and watches the scene play out, still thinking about L but grateful for the small distraction. The boy gets off of the bouncy seat and rushes to the part of the playground with a tall slide; he climbs up the ladder laughing as he reaches the top.

"Mommy! Watch me!" calls the little boy, who looks no more than three years old. He then proceeds to lie on the slide backwards and pushes himself, going down the slide at an incredible speed. Light looks ahead of his and sees a large rock protruding from the ground just short of the slide's end, he quickly does the math and calculates that the boy will hit the rock and likely hurt himself badly. The mother figures that out when she sees Light sprinting towards her son.

"Koji!" shouts the woman just as Light catches him in his arms, the force sending them both to the ground. "Is he alright?"

Light picks himself and the boy up from the ground. "He appears to be fine, ma'am," he says as he bends down and looks at the boy, searching for any signs of injury. "You, young man, will live to slide another day."

The little boy lights up with a big smile and Light smiles back. "Thank you!" says the little boy and then he looks at his mother. "See me, Mommy?"

The boy's mother looks as if she aged ten years in five seconds, but she smiles. "I did, sweetheart, you did very good," she says though her voice is strained then she looks at Light. "Thank you for saving my son, I doubt I would have made it in time."

"It was nothing," says Light with a small shrug.

The mother smiles at him then frowns slightly. "Do you—are you a detective with the NPA?"

Light is somewhat taken aback by her question but he readily answers. "I am, my name's Light Yagami."

"How is that spelled?" asks the woman.

"Light's written with the character for 'moon' and Yagami with the characters for 'night' and 'god'," replies Light with a slight smile. "What about you, what's your name?"

"Raku Matsuda," says Raku readily. "Raku's written with the character for 'pleasure' and Matsuda with the characters for 'pine tree' and 'field'. This young man's name is Koji."

"A pleasure to meet you both," says Light politely, smiling quickly at Koji. "Tell me, are you married to Touta Matsuda?"

Raku nods and smiles fondly. "I am, actually, and I remember him describing you several times to me which is why I asked if you work for the NPA. I'm not sure many men there would match your description."

Light smiles pleasantly. "I remember him saying he married an American, though I'd have never pegged you for one. Is this the first time you've been to Japan?"

"No, but this will be the first time I'll be living here," she says kindly. "Koji and I were living with my parents in San Francisco before Touta sent for us, we only just arrived a few days ago."

"Daddy busy," pipes in Koji.

Raku smiles at her little boy, patting his dark hair affectionately. "That's right, baby, Daddy's very busy right now. Anyway, we should probably get going, our things are due to arrive today and I want to meet the movers when they arrive."

"Hold on a second," says Light and he pulls out a business card. "Here, in case you want to get together and talk again, or need an update on Matsuda if he's too busy to call you."

"Thank you very much," says Raku happily as she tucks the card into her jacket pocket. "It'll be nice having a friend here to talk to, and you and your husband are more than welcome over to our house for dinner, I'd love to get to know you both. Touta talks about you two all of the time, I feel like I know you well already."

Light nods then looks at Koji. "And if you need a babysitter, I'd be more than happy to help you out."

Koji's smile gets even bigger. "Yeah! You fun!"

"I'll let Touta know you offered," says Raku then she picks up Koji. "Come on, baby, let's get home and start unpacking!"

Light watches as they leave the park and he sighs heavily, he knows he should get back home and work but he does not want to return to the empty and cold apartment he calls home. There is no one there to greet him; no child running to grab his leg and say how happy they are to see him, no gentle spouse coming and giving him a kiss to welcome him home, not even a dog to bark when it sees him. There will be no one, and he envies Matsuda for once, knowing that when he gets home tonight the man will have a family waiting to greet him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Not sure about this chapter, but let me know what you think! Enjoy**

* * *

Backlash

L frowns deeply as he stands in the middle of his living room his hands stuffed in his pockets as his dark eyes carefully scan the pristine room for any indication that his husband is home. When he arrived from the airport a few minutes ago, he had expected to find his husband waiting at home, dutifully going over his own case work and being pleased to see him when they were reunited once more. Now as he stands in what should be a warm and inviting room he finds it to be sterile and unfamiliar, wondering why this time in particular it felt different than usual. L hears Watari enter with their suitcases then he hears the older gentleman head towards the master bedroom, he decides that it would be best to follow him, thinking of no better place to deduce Light's whereabouts.

Watari is leaving just as L is entering, and the father figure smiles kindly as he passes him in the doorway, L acknowledges him with a slight nod of his head. L sighs a little when he sees that the room is empty, a small part of him had hoped to find Light curled under the covers napping after a long day. As the detective walks in and looks around the room, he is hit by an achingly familiar scent that pulls at his heart: Light's cologne. The rich, spicy scent envelopes him as he sits on Light's side of the bed, trying not to wrinkle the blankets too much as he shifts his position so his knees are safely tucked under his chin. Breathing deeply, he feels his heartbeat quicken as the scent overwhelms his senses and transports him back in time.

* * *

 _L found the source of the scent, one that had been bothering him for hours and he buried his nose in the source, inhaling deeply to make sure that he was correct in his assumption. Yes, the smell was indeed emanating from here and from what he could tell, it had been there for a while, as it was fainter than earlier._

 _'L, why are you smelling my neck?' asked a very irritated Light as he rolled over, the handcuff chain clinking as he did._

 _'I had to be sure,' replied L as he moved away from Light, his cheeks a little warm._

 _Light rolled his eyes. 'Had to be sure of what? That I have a neck? Are you now working under the premise that Kira does indeed have a neck and a head and a body?'_

 _'I have always been working under that assumption, Light,' said L flatly, his knees tucked under his body, thumb pressed against his lower lip. 'And your percentage of being Kira has increased, as you could have been trying to lead the investigation in a direction that led us to the conclusion that Kira is a spiritual being rather than a human being.'_

 _'Whatever,' snapped Light and he retreated further away from L, his back turned in defiance._

 _'If you must know, I was trying to determine the source of a particularly annoying scent,' said L after a period of absolute silence._

 _Light turned around slightly, his brown eyes narrowed. 'Is my cologne bothering your delicate sense of smell, Ryuzaki?'_

 _L nodded, his dark orbs locked with Light's. 'Yes, I find the odor incredibly offensive and would like to request that you switch to a more appealing scent if you are going to insist on wearing such aromatics.'_

 _'Sorry, Ryuzaki,' said Light, not sounding sorry at all. 'I happen to like this cologne and have worn it since I started high school, I don't have any plans on changing it any time soon. Guess you're just going to learn to live with it.'_

* * *

And live with it he has, eventually L learned to appreciate the scent and even come to enjoy it to a certain degree, finding it was easier to tolerate if he associated it with Light instead of just being offensive. The detective unfurls his legs and decides to head to the bathroom to see if there are any clues in there as to where Light might be, not admitting to himself that he really wants to escape the smell and the memories. When he enters the bathroom he finds the smell is actually stronger and heavier in here, telling him that it is fresh. He glances around the room, eyeing the laundry hamper almost immediately; upon opening it he discovers Light's work clothes at the top, the scent on them much lighter than in the surrounding air.

Instantly he moves from the bathroom back to the bedroom, his eyes glued on the closet as he throws it open and begins searching for anything that might be missing. He knows Light's categorizing system, and discovers that a blue sweater and pair of beige khakis are gone, much more casual attire than his suit and tie.

 _'So he did come home,'_ deduces L miserably as he closes the closet door. _'He must have returned from work, changed into more suitable clothes, and applied a fresh coating of his cologne. But what reason would he have for leaving the apartment? Is it possible he is meeting with some work colleagues for dinner? He has done that before, though he will usually wear something more upscale. Perhaps he has a d—'_ L prevents himself from finishing that last presumption. There is no conceivable reason for him to suspect Light having an affair, none; after all, he swore his fidelity to him on their wedding day, and later that night he reaffirmed his vow of never straying. Still, he cannot rightly blame Light if he is indeed being unfaithful, after all he is not the most attentive of spouses; he regularly leaves for extended periods of time with little to no warning, rarely calls to let him know his whereabouts, and often arrives home out of the blue.

"If I were him, I might find someone else too," he mutters glumly as he heads out of the room, enticed somewhat by the smell of cookies coming from the kitchen.

He enters the spacious kitchen to find Watari taking a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies out of the oven; the old man is humming to himself as L pads over to the nearest stool and perches himself awkwardly. Without a word passing between them, Watari slides a platter of cookies to the dejected detective who begins nibbling on the soft, chewy treat with very little care that his fingertips are now somewhat covered in chocolate. L stares off into space, still trying to reach a conclusion in regard to Light's location.

"You could try calling him," says Watari as he pulls out a bowl and a carton of freshly picked strawberries. "It's the next logical step if he hasn't left any clues in the house."

L says nothing as he puts the cookie back down on the plate, carefully licking his fingers clean of the delicious confection before reaching into his pocket and extracting a silver cellphone. He opens the lid and presses the speed dial, selecting the second name on the list and dials the number, hoping that Light will answer him. The line rings seven times before it goes to voicemail.

 _"Hi, you've reached Light Yagami,"_ says the voicemail _. "I'm unable to answer my phone right now, but if you leave your name and a message, I'll get back to you as soon as I can."_

"Hey Light, it's Ryuzaki," says L, trying to hide the anguish in his voice. "I was just calling to let you know I am back in town and wanted to meet up. Guess you're busy tonight. Call me back at this number, bye."

"That was a very impersonal message, L," chides Watari gently. "You should have informed him that you were looking for him and wondering where he is."

L remains stone faced as he puts his phone away and picks up his cookie. "If his cell phone or the call were to be intercepted while I was leaving that message, then Light's safety and my own would be compromised, which is an unacceptable outcome. Besides, it's easier to say those kinds of things to his face, rather than over the phone."

Watari remains unconvinced. "So you plan on interrogating him the moment he steps through that door? Potentially creating a rather ugly scene and ruining your limited time together, which is another unacceptable outcome. L, I've watched you these last few weeks missing Light greatly, wouldn't it be easier to not play these kinds of games with him and just let him know that you missed him? You need to find a balance between L the detective and L Light's husband, something you have been sorely lacking in this last year and a half."

"I know, Watari," says L quietly, not accustomed to admitting that he has been wrong about something. "I have been a terrible spouse, unable to fulfill any of my obligations or wants, and I owe it to myself and Light to do better in the future. Even if that means making a few sacrifices."

"I'm glad you've come to the same conclusion I have," says Watari with a slightly arrogant smile. "Now, I believe it would be a good idea for you to calm down and eat these delicious cookies while I prepare our afternoon tea."

L nods, a small smile stretching itself across his thin lips as he takes another cookie.

* * *

"I'm going to get you!" shouts Light to an empty room and he looks around quickly as he starts moving towards a closet, his hands poised to open the sliding doors. He flings the doors open and is dismayed to find that his target is not there, he then closes the doors and rubs his neck in thought. There are only so many places he could be hiding, and he has already checked most of them; suddenly he hears the sound of feet racing by the door and he looks just in time to see a head of dark hair race around the corner. He takes off towards it, determined to get his target before it slips away again.

In his socked feet he slips on the hardwood floor as he goes around the same corner, something which elicits a happy sound from his target and his resolve is renewed as he scrambles up from the floor and runs after him. There is a frightened squeal from his target as he goes racing away, trying to evade Light once again, his goal clearly is to get to the front door where he can find more places to hide. That does not happen, Light uses the slick floor to his advantage and glides easily to his target, leaning down to pick him up before he can get to the door. His target tries to run but Light is too quick, and he is scooped up, both laughing as two people walk through the front door.

"I take it you two are having fun?" asks Matsuda as he takes off his shoes.

"Daddy!" squeals Koji from Light's arms, the small boy starts wriggling trying to get out of his grasp in order to reach his father. "Uncle Light, let go!"

Light chuckles warmly before kissing Koji's cheek and letting him back down to the ground, wherein the child promptly runs straight for his mother and father. Raku leans down and takes her son into her embrace, holding him tightly as she smoothens out his hair, a content smile on her face.

"How was the meeting, Matsuda?" asks Light as he and Matsuda head into the living room, Raku following behind them.

Matsuda lets out an exaggerated sigh as he falls onto the couch comfortably. "Awful, I've never sat in such a long meeting before, especially one where nothing was accomplished except deciding when the next meeting would be. Light, you work at the NPA as a detective, why didn't you have to go to this meeting?"

"It didn't concern any of my cases," replies Light leaning back onto the soft cushions. While watching Koji, he barely had any chance to sit down, he had been on his feet most of the afternoon chasing after the child or playing with him; resting on the couch is a welcome relief.

"Well, I'm happy to report that starting next week, Koji's going to school!" exclaims Raku and both Matsuda and Light smile broadly.

"I take it the interview went well then?" asks Light as he high-fives Matsuda at his friend's insistence.

Raku nods as she tickles Koji. "It did indeed, and your letter of recommendation helped substantially, the headmaster was very impressed to see that it was from you. I can't thank you enough for helping us out, Light, you've done so much for us these last few weeks; how about we take you out to dinner? We can thank you and celebrate this achievement at the same time."

Light nods and then looks at Koji. "Thanks, Raku, I appreciate it. Though as far as helping you two out, it's no big deal, I'm sure you would do the same for me if I was in a similar situation."

"Still, we should thank you, regardless," insists Matsuda as he takes Koji from Raku's lap. "What do you say, big guy? Want to have dinner with Uncle Light to celebrate you starting school next week?"

Koji frowns and shakes his head. "No school!" he shouts in his father's face. "Stay home with Mommy and Uncle Light! No school!"

"But Koji," says Light gently. "School will be just as fun as being with Mommy or me, maybe even more. You'll meet lots of other kids and get to play all kinds of games, you might even start to like it. I know I did."

Koji appears to consider Light's words thoughtfully, his furrowed brow is testament to that. "Okay," he says quietly. "Go to school, but only for a little while."

Matsuda stands up and promptly throws Koji up in the air before catching him with ease. "Great! Now we can go out to dinner! Go with Mommy and get your shoes." He hands the laughing toddler back to Raku who then leaves to help her son put on his shoes. "Wow, Light," says Matsuda when Raku is gone. "You're really great with kids."

Light makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Sayu was like that when she was Koji's age, and I just repeated what my father said to her when she refused to go to school."

"Maybe, but I certainly wouldn't have come up with that," remarks Matsuda. "Maybe you and Ryuzaki should look into having a kid, I bet you two would be great parents."

"Maybe," is Light's halfhearted reply and his frown goes unnoticed by his friend. This would not be the first time he had considered bringing up the topic to L but he knew it would be impossible to get his husband to agree. He can practically hear L's various, logical arguments against bringing a child into their situation the most prominent being that they were both far too busy to care for another human being and would be better off with a goldfish or something equally as replaceable. He sighs slightly as he moves to put his shoes and jacket on, even if he thinks having a child will be a great idea, L is not around to discuss the subject anyway.

* * *

Light arrives back at his home a couple of hours later, a wistful smile on his face as he recalls the dinner they had earlier. Koji had certainly made it memorable, what with eating his chicken pieces slathered in sauce with his hands only to end up with most of the food in his lap, and then doing the same with his ice cream. _'That boy certainly enjoyed experiencing his food in as many ways as possible,'_ thinks Light as he unlocks the door and enters, but he immediately tenses. He is not alone.

Carefully he takes off his shoes and hangs his coat, then reaches under the entryway table for the knife L had placed there for times such as this, with the blade behind his back he treads to the kitchen. He can hear someone milling about in there and from his position against the wall, he cranes his neck so he can get a quick view inside; he sees Watari making a pot of tea, and he instantly relaxes. _'L's home!'_ he thinks excitedly as he returns the knife to its hiding place before going to the kitchen to greet Watari properly.

"Good evening, Watari," says Light happily as he walks over and embraces L's father figure. "It's so good to see you."

Watari chuckles warmly as he returns Light's gesture. "And same to you, Light. I trust your evening was uneventful?"

Light nods as he steals one of the small lemon tarts from a tray behind Watari. "Indeed, I went out to dinner with Matsuda and his family to celebrate his son's acceptance into Gamou Prep." He releases Watari then proceeds to pop the tart into his mouth.

"That's quite the accomplishment," says Watari as he turns back to his previous task. "L's in your room, though I should warn you, he's in quite the mood this evening."

"Alright, thanks Watari," says Light and he heads to his bedroom.

The door is shut and he cannot hear any noise coming from the other side, for a moment he wonders if L is in his office instead, getting ready for his next case but Light decides to look in here first. He peeks in and sees L sitting on the bed with his laptop perched on his knees, thumb pressed against his lips as he reads something of interest. Light tries not to laugh as he quietly enters the room, the number of times he has caught L in this exact position were too numerous to count. Quietly he approaches the bed and without making a sound, lays down beside L who does not acknowledge his presence right away, which is not abnormal for the detective.

"I've missed you," says Light as he pulls L's hand away from the keyboard, lacing their fingers together.

L looks at their entwined hands and struggles not to pull away. "I missed you as well." His expression is far away, like he is thinking about something in the distant future or not too distant present. "You weren't here when I returned."

"I was babysitting Matsuda's son," replies Light, not sure why L is behaving as he is. "His wife and son arrived from the States a few weeks ago and I've been spending a lot of time over there."

"You're always here when I come home," laments L, apparently not hearing Light's explanation.

Light raises an eyebrow. "What? Do you honestly expect me to always be here waiting for you, L? A person can't live like that."

"You did before," retorts L, his gaze still on their hands.

"Well those times I had work to distract me," snaps Light and he pulls his hand away from L. "Right now I'm in a bit of a dry spell with work, our cases never being too intense to fully distract me from your constant absence from my life!"

His words are harsher than he intended but right now, he cannot hold back his anger any longer, he wants L to know that he is fed up with being constantly second to his work.

"You know I must be gone for my work," says L sharply, his hand now balled in a fist. "And you can't leave your job at the NPA, so it's better if you stay here and I leave."

"I know that, L," says Light, his anger rising as he jumps up from the bed. "I know, I know, I know! You're the great and powerful L, the only person in the entire world who can solve its problems while simultaneously neglecting his problems at home! I'm tired of being second place, L, to everything you deem more important than me: your job, your heirs, your sweets."

L stares at him blankly, wondering where all this anger is coming from. "I was not aware that we had any domestic problems."

Light almost laughs, the statement too unbelievable. "Of course you're not aware, L, you're never home! You take on a case, tell me the day of that you're leaving, then are gone for long stretches of time only to appear for a few days before leaving again. Honestly I probably wouldn't mind so much if you would at least call or message me whenever you're gone. I never know where you are, I don't know if you're in danger, and I can't begin to tell you how many sleepless nights I've spent worrying about you. All you ever do is show back up with presents to make up for being gone, but that's not enough!"

"Are you saying you would like me to bring better quality presents home with me?" asks L, still not understanding exactly what Light is so upset about.

"That's not the point!" shouts Light, his eyes almost red. "What I want is for you to be home, L! I don't want to be without you anymore, I want you home with me so we can have an actual marriage and life, not just whenever it suits you. Can't you understand that? Or is your marriage to your job more important than your marriage to me?!"

L is quiet for a moment, Light's words hitting him full force and he can feel something burning his eyes. He reaches up with one of his long fingers and finds that tears are running down his face, something he has never experienced before now. _'How strange,'_ he thinks as he wipes them away on the corner of his sleeve. "I'm sorry, Light," says L softly. "You know I have never been good with interpersonal relationships, you have and always will be my first true friend, and I did not meant to upset you. I should have known this lifestyle would not be easy for you, yet I forced you into it anyway, for my own selfish reasons. Watari mentioned that I should find a better balance between home and work, so that is what I intend to do."

Light is stunned momentarily, is L actually conceding defeat?

"I have decided that we should move," says L and he shows Light an image computer screen. "While this place is suitable for my work, it is hardly what you could consider a home, which is why it will be my office. I will work from home from time to time but mostly I will work regular hours here and be home in the evenings and on weekends. Travel will be limited to only those cases that require my direct attention; otherwise I will send Near, Mello, or Matt in my place since I trust them to do my job adequately. You will still be able to work at the NPA, as this new house will be just a short drive away, and we will not have to be apart unless you kick me out."

"You're serious," says Light breathlessly as he looks at the home L purchased. It is absolutely perfect: four bedrooms, three bathrooms, nice open layout, lots of light, and it even has a yard, which is something he told L he wanted though he doubted he could have it. There are no words to explain the euphoria that fills Light as the gravity of this situation comes washing over him, but he is still a little upset. "L, if you had planned on doing this all along, why'd you let me yell at you?" he asks as he sits down beside the still detective.

"There were two reasons," replies L as he makes a poor job of wiping his tears. "One, I had to be sure that this situation is what you were upset about and not just using it as a means of hiding another irritant. And since you didn't go off on a tangent about something else, I can safely conclude that my work schedule and our living arrangements is what has been upsetting you."

Light gives a small chuckle. "I guess it was bothering more than I wanted to admit to myself, and I'm sorry for upsetting you too. I didn't realize that yelling at you would make you cry."

L waves his hand dismissively. "Your yelling didn't make me cry, what made me cry is realizing how stupid I have been and knowing now how deeply I hurt you; the last thing I want to do is bring you any kind of pain, Light. I love you."

"I love you too, L," says Light and he leans in, his lips brushing across L's cheek in a soft kiss. "Now, what was the second reason you let me yell at you?"

"To vent your frustrations," says L with a shrug. "I had a feeling you were bottling up your anger and I thought you needed a safe environment to release it in, otherwise it might come out in an . . . unsavory manner. Did it help?"

Light thinks for a moment and almost laughs when he realizes that a huge weight he had not known about has lifted from his chest. He feels freer, lighter, and it is all thanks to L. "Actually, I do feel better. A lot better, if I'm being completely honest. Maybe next time, I can express my anger more constructively rather than blow up at you."

L nods. "Yes, you should look into that. Anyway, now that we've moved past that bit of ugliness, perhaps now would be a good time to go over a few more details about our move and potentially look into an interior designer."

Light says nothing in response, instead he moves further onto the bed and makes himself comfortable beside L. They sit shoulder to shoulder with Light's arm flung snugly over L's shoulders as the latter begins to discuss his grand plan for their future home, the shining in his eyes giving away his excitement. Light hardly pays attention, he is still reeling from the fact he and L will finally have a life together, something he has wanted for so long is about to come to fruition. He knows this will probably be difficult and will require getting used to, but he cannot help being excited; this is a future he never envisioned for himself, yet is grateful to have.


	4. Chapter 4

Request

The house is too quiet for L's liking, especially after the particularly loud and energized month long visit from Mello, Matt, and Near. The days leading up to their first visit in a long time had been filled with nervous anticipation, as both L and Light were unsure of how they were going to handle all three since they had offered to house them at their home instead of dumping them on Watari. Light thought that the experience would be a good way to see how they handled a difficult situation completely unrelated to their work, and L had agreed with him. Little did they know how hard it was actually going to be.

The first few days had been extraordinarily difficult, ranging from fighting over who would pick the boys up from the airport to an all out screaming match after they caught Mello and Matt drinking in their rooms. After they had calmed down a bit, and when Light came back from his parents' house, they had agreed to try being cooperative rather than attempting to both be the one in charge. That ended up working out better than either of them had anticipated and the visit ended up as a pleasant and calm one rather than the hell it could have been. When it ended both Light and L had felt a little sad to see the three boys leave, wishing they had just a bit more time with them, but they were needed elsewhere. That was the day L had started to hate the quiet.

For as long as he could remember, L had been a creature of solitude, hiding in quiet rooms away from any and all forms of distraction in order to better conduct his investigations. Now since living with Light full time, he had grown accustomed to having another presence in a room with him, and he found himself enjoying the noises Light made when he went about his own business like brewing his coffee or reading the newspaper. Then when the boys visited, there had been enough noise for ten people and he still managed to get his work done despite it, especially since he now associated quiet with mischief. He and Light discovered quickly that when the boys were quiet, it meant they were up to something.

L tries to type some notes about a case, but he is far too distracted by the quiet, it grates on his nerves and puts him too much on edge for him to concentrate properly. He looks at the wall clock; it is about time for Light to be taking his lunch, which meant he is probably getting ready to open his bento box and read over his own cases while he eats. The perfect time to take a phone call. L pulls his cellphone from his pocket and dials Light's number on speed dial, holding it to his ear by his index finger and thumb, waiting the customary three rings before Light picks up.

"Detective Yagami," says Light curtly and L can tell by his voice that he is reading something.

"Is that how you greet all of your callers, or am I just lucky?" asks L wryly and he can imagine the slightly irritated look on Light's handsome face.

He hears some shifting on the other end before Light speaks again. "Ryuzaki, you know I'm at work right now, I can't afford to be too familiar on the phone."

L struggles not to laugh, Light is still so particular about his public image. "I realized that you were at work, likely on your lunch break, and decided this was an appropriate time for you to receive a personal call. Unless of course Matsuda is hanging over your shoulder and you'd rather I call back at a more inconvenient time."

Light sighs heavily. "No, he's not even here, so this is a fine time to talk. I was just hoping to get a little bit of work done before going into a meeting. I'll finish later though, it's nothing pressing, just reviewing a few reports. Anyway, what's up?"

L wonders how best to go about his request, unsure of how Light is going to take it. "I cannot stand this irritating quiet any longer, I want something in the house that makes a lot of noise. I cannot see myself getting any work done if I am to continue to suffer in this disagreeable silence another minute, and we both know how many will suffer if I cannot do my work."

There is a pause on the other end and L knows Light is trying to process what he has just said. "You mean like an animal or a television?" asks Light curiously, L can practically hear the wheels in Light's head working as he tries to figure out what L actually wants.

"No, I mean like a small human," says L cautiously. He had been thinking about this for some time now, mostly after the boys had left and he had been attempting to bring up the subject to Light but was always unsure of how to go about it. "I want a small human that makes a lot of noise, requires a great deal of attention, and will ultimately make us very happy."

Again there is silence but when Light speaks, L can hear the smile in his voice. "And what is it you plan on doing with this noisy creature that will take up so much of our time and attention?"

"Love it forever," replies L and he too is grinning. "I want to play with it and teach it about the world, and feed it sweets while you tell it stories to chase away nightmares. It will also be something that frustrates us, challenges us in ways we did not expect, and finally will be worth every moment of pain. With this in mind, do you think you could agree to such a thing?"

"I think I could," says Light, his voice full of joy. "We'll have to discuss it more when I get home tonight of course, do you think you can stand the quiet just a little bit longer? If not I could have Matsuda send Raku and Koji over to entertain you."

L shakes his head. "No, I believe I can deal with the quiet just a bit longer if it means we can discuss this matter seriously when you do come home. Perhaps I will call Watari and treat him to a late lunch."

Light laughs. "Sounds like a good idea, just make sure if one of the boys calls, don't mention this conversation to them; I think they'll all be a little jealous if we tell them they might be getting a new friend to play with."

"I most certainly will not," says L with an emphatic nod. "Now, I should get off here and call Watari, really Light you should be more considerate when you call. I love you, despite your thoughtlessness." He hangs up the phone before Light can make a retort.

Moments later his phone vibrates just as he is about to call Watari, he sees that it is a message from Light and can only imagine what it says. With some hesitation he opens it and is somewhat surprised by what it says, but not really.

 _'I'm the one lacking tact?! Really?! Why don't you look in a mirror and see someone that is truly tactless? Oh wait, you can't.'_

L rolls his eyes, while this is not Light's most scathing retort by far; it certainly had the desired effect of getting under his skin at the sheer implications. Quickly he sends a reply, wondering why he is so easily baited.

 _'Implying I am a vampire is not the way to win this argument, Light, as you well know. Please don't hurt yourself too much the next time you use your brain to come up with such a feeble remark. It could cause serious damage to such brilliance.'_

His phone buzzes again.

 _'It's the best explanation I've come up with for your odd habits and sleeping patterns. And I'll have you know that hardly took any effort to come up with because most of my brilliance is being devoted to my work rather than arguing with you. Now call Watari and go to lunch before this gets out of hand. I love you.'_

L smiles as he closes the message screen and goes to call Watari. Despite both of them still being easily riled up by the other whenever the mood struck them, L knew he and Light had matured to the point that they could concede a truce without it being a considerable blow to their egos. They will always enjoy making snide remarks or trying to one-up each other, that is just how their nature is, but the important thing is they knew when to stop so they can go about their day and get something accomplished. Though L made it a point to tuck a few comments away in the back of his mind should the occasion rise later that evening.

* * *

The café is busy when L spots Watari walking in with a small gathering of patrons, he raises a hand to signal his location at the back window and the older gentleman acknowledges the gesture with a polite nod. He makes his way gracefully to L's table, hanging his jacket and umbrella on the back of the iron wrought chair before sitting down. The waitress, a small girl about Sayu's age, places a glass of water and menu in front of him before rushing off to the next table with a hastily made promise of being back in a few minutes to take their order.

"I must say Ryuzaki this is a pleasant surprise indeed," says Watari as he looks at the menu, his eyes skimming over the confectionaries for something with a little more substance.

"Yes, I felt the need to see you and get out of my house," replies L as he eagerly reads the list of pastries and custards offered at the establishment. "This was the most suitable compromise for both desires."

Watari nods appreciatively. "And how are you doing at the house? Have you adjusted well to my presence being minimalized?"

"Yes, I have in fact become accustomed to taking care of myself," says L though there is a touch of sorrow to his voice. "Light helped of course, fixing meals before he left for work then sending me reminders that I should eat or take a short break, becoming rather incessant whenever he knew I was ignoring him. Now I can make myself snacks and know when it is appropriate to have a meal."

"It would seem you are doing rather well," agrees Watari as he takes a sip of his water. "You don't appear to be in a poor state of health and Light has yet to call me to have me go check on you, though I'm sure he was close at the beginning of this endeavor."

L nods as he continues to peruse the menu, opting for companionable silence rather than elaborating on this topic. When he and Light agreed to move from their apartment to the house they were currently living in, one of Light's points of contention was having Watari around all of the time. It was not that he minded the man who was like a father to L, he just did not agree with the idea of him constantly having to be in several places just to serve L, Light thought he deserved to have a place to himself so he was not always on his feet doing whatever L asked. Watari had been reluctant at first, saying he never minded caring for L as he had been doing it for years, but not too long after that he had suffered a stress induced heart attack; the doctors all agreed he should slow down his life a little and refrain from too much activity. That was when he agreed to live full time at the apartment while Light and L lived in their house without him, which was within driving distance.

Without Watari present everyday, Light had taken it upon himself to teach L how to be independent enough to care for his basic needs. The first few days he had been very involved in the transition, then after a while he started to back off, forcing L to fend for himself and get his own food. There were a few times when L would forget completely to eat or rest, which would infuriate Light to no end but he would never stay angry for long, just long enough to lecture L into remembering the next day to eat something. Now the reminders and the lectures were no longer necessary.

"Sorry about that," says the waitress as she reappears, a worn smile on her face. "Now, what can I get you two gentlemen?"

L wonders how quickly she can write on that tablet in her hands. "I'll have the strawberry custard with extra whipped topping, but no mint; an order of beignets with caramel, vanilla pudding with chocolate wafer cookies, fruit parfait with an extra helping of cherries, and a triple chocolate mocha frappe with whipped cream and chocolate shavings."

The waitress writes as quickly as she can, barely looking up at all from her tablet before she finishes and looks to Watari, her eyes silently begging for him not to be as challenging.

"I will have the chicken salad in a croissant roll with a side of fruit salad," says Watari with a sparkle in his eye. "And I will also have a triple chocolate mocha frappe with whipped cream and chocolate shavings."

When he finishes speaking, the waitress gives him a strange look as she scribbles something with her stylus; while most find L's diet strange on a normal day, they almost gawk whenever Watari orders something incredibly sweet with his savory food. Apparently those two food types are forbidden to mix and must be kept on either end of the spectrum.

"Your order should be out in a little while," she says, tucking a piece of red hair behind her ear. "I'll be out with your drinks momentarily."

The waitress then departs, though not without a parting glance of intrigue; whether she is interested in L himself or the food they ordered he cannot tell, but what he does know is that he does not appreciate her looking at him as if he were a zoo animal. He stares blankly back at her until she turns her head, obviously uncomfortable with the way he is looking at her, when he is satisfied she is no longer leering he smiles at Watari eager to tell him his decision with Light.

"Watari, would you object to another person being brought into the loop?" he asks casually as he opens a sugar packet the proceeds to dump the contents on his tongue. He is only vaguely aware that some of the patrons are staring at him and he could care less, there is nothing about himself he will change just to please the majority; Light and anyone who matters accepts him from how he eats to how he sits.

Watari thinks on this question thoughtfully. "That would depend on what you meant by bringing someone in, if it's another friend I have no objections so long as they are trustworthy and I highly doubt it's another lover so I won't have to ask any difficult questions. But I can tell by your expression that it's neither of those, so that leaves one category; are you thinking of finding another heir to work with the three you currently possess?"

L nods slightly, knowing it would be best to keep all reactions to a minimum in a public space such as this. "Yes, I've been thinking about this for quite a while," he replies just as the waitress appears with their drinks, he watches her with a careful gaze as she puts one in front of him and one in front of Watari. He continues to watch her as she leaves and then he sees Watari take a sip of his drink, pause a moment or two then switch it with L's, taking the straw out before replacing it with a new one; a safety measure that had been in place since L started going out in the field for work.

"They're quite delicious," says Watari as he takes a sip of his new drink and smiles.

"So I can surmise," says L stoically as he sips on his drink slowly, knowing he will need to savor this drink before his food arrives, as a means of holding himself over in the mean time.

"Now, you were saying you wished to bring in another heir and have been considering it carefully," says Watari casually. "Is there anyone in particular you've been considering for the position, because there are a few Roger has told me would make excellent candidates."

To Watari's surprise, L shakes his head.

"You misunderstand me, Watari," explains L as he licks some whipped cream from his fingertips. "This heir would not be as literal as the others, this one would be more like a lasting legacy produced by Light and I. What I mean to say is, Light and I are thinking about having a child together, I brought the subject up to him today after due consideration and found that he is not disagreeable to the idea. That is hardly surprising though, given his upbringing and the unspoken responsibilities of being the only son and eldest child in a household."

Watari is a little more than stunned by L's admission, if anything he expected that they would be going to England to find a new heir to train alongside Mello, Matt, and Near, this idea of having a child is surprising. He simply had assumed neither L nor Light, especially L, would find it agreeable to have a family given their current circumstances. Nevertheless, he is very happy to hear L expressing a longing for a family of his own.

The waitress brings their food during this moment of silence, and L is so concerned about Watari's opinion to this endeavor that he completely ignores the delicious looking sweets that have been laid out before him.

"Please say something Watari," says L, some nervousness cutting against his words.

"What more is there to say except congratulations?" he asks with a smile and L grins before picking up a spoonful of custard.


	5. Chapter 5

Ideas

The front door closes and Light breathes a heavy sigh of relief, it is finally the weekend and he can relax to a certain degree, not having to worry about anything tonight except the discussion he and L are supposed to be having. Earlier in the week L had proposed the idea of having a child together, and not one that would be another heir, and of course he had been elated at the suggestion; after all, it is something he has always wanted. Unfortunately, they had yet to have a proper discussion about it due in part to Light's workweek which had resulted in him having to work late hours; and when he did get home, he was too tired to talk properly. This evening will be the first time they discuss the details though he is sure, like he has been doing, L has done research on this topic.

Light wanders into the family room at the back of the house pleased to find L already lounging in there with his laptop resting on his belly, apparently scanning a very important document. Light grins as he comes up behind him and wraps his arms around his shoulders before kissing his exposed neck, he actually expected L to jump when he touched him but that did not happen. _'Guess I made more noise than I thought,'_ he considers wryly as L leans against him. _'Not that I mind.'_

"I'm glad that you're finally home," says L as Light peppers kisses across his neck before pulling down his shirt collar and kissing the skin there. "Something tells me you're happy to be back as well."

Light chuckles warmly. "What makes you say that? I could just be trying to get on your good side."

L smiles as he moves his laptop to the floor, managing despite Light's embrace then he turns so he can see Light's face and kisses his lips softly. "You know that isn't necessary," says L, his long fingers caressing Light's cheek.

"I know, it's just fun to say," replies Light as he leans into L's touch. Since buying this house, this has been Light's favorite part, coming home from a long day to L and knowing for a few hours he can pretend the outside world and its problems do not exist. "So, I suppose we should get this life changing discussion underway, don't you?"

"Of course," says L and he and Light untangle themselves from each other. He then sits up and leans down to pull his laptop back up, setting it on the table in front of him as Light moves around the back of the couch, sitting down beside him. "I've been doing some research on the best method of obtaining a child. The obvious route is adoption and is statistically the most successful, not to mention I have connections in several orphanages so we could bypass most of the bureaucracy."

Light frowns slightly. "If that's so, then we'd be better off just going to Wammy's House and choosing a child there, at least then it'd be guaranteed to be a genius. No, I'm not really in favor of the adoption route, no offense."

L nods thoughtfully, he had a feeling that would be Light's opinion on the subject, he had just thought to put it out there as a viable option to them before diving into the second possibility. "Well, I hope you're more amenable to surrogacy then, otherwise we're out of options; unless you'd rather steal someone else's child?" From the very nasty glare L gets from Light, he knows to move on quickly. "Since I determined you'd rather have a progeny of your own blood, I looked into surrogacy quite extensively, even going so far as to inquire about possible surrogates and egg donors. Suffice it to say, I'm quite impressed with the detailed information surrounding this choice." He then turns the laptop to show Light a document containing everything there is to know about participating in a surrogate pregnancy, including a list of clinics and files about potential female participants.

Light looks over the document carefully, scanning every sentence and figure as he absorbs the information. He has to admit, L really did do some remarkable research into this subject, and if he is being honest with himself he was wanting to use a surrogate instead of just adopting a baby. "Very impressive," says Light when he finishes reading the document. "I know what adoption means to you, but I've always been a fan of this idea more. Though I'm not very impressed with the selection of possible egg donors, they all have minor criminal backgrounds and I'd rather not have the mother be a criminal."

"They were the most willing to participate in an off the books surrogacy," replies L with his thumb pressed against his lips. "Then again, I can see why you'd be deterred from those selections, though I don't understand it; after all, you're not without some blood on your hands."

Light's glare is so vile it is a miracle L is not a smoldering pile of ashes but the former manages to control his urge to tear his husband limb from limb. "Then perhaps you should be the father, and I'll keep my corrupted genetic material away from an innocent," he spits, venom dripping from every word as he tries to keep his temper from getting the better of him.

Surprisingly L shakes his head. "No, I don't think so," he says and turns to see Light's look of complete bewilderment. "You see, I've determined based on several factors that you would be the best genetic donor for a child while I would be substandard. While the few flaws you have are incredibly destructive they are limited to just a few areas of a person, the multitude I possess are destructive to almost every aspect of a person. A baby who is like you can be dealt with easily, while a baby that is an insomniac is detrimental to its health and could result in stunted growth and possible lifelong anxiety problems. I would rather not watch our child suffer from something like that, if it's all the same to you."

"You'd rather watch it become a mass murderer," snaps Light and L flinches but is not worried for his safety.

"I highly doubt our child would become a mass murderer," he says calmly. "Looking at what made you walk down that path, I have to say it was the fact you were given that power that turned you. If you had not been given the notebook, you would've maintained your mental status and likely not murdered all of those people. We'll just have to be careful to not give our child that power and even if it obtains it, you'll know right away, so we can prevent it from happening to the degree it happened to you."

Light considers L's arguments carefully, if what L said is true then their child will only be susceptible to extreme boredom and have an unfailing moral code like Light, something he can live with since as L said, he knows how to deal with those kinds of problems. He is sure there is a counterargument somewhere but as of this moment, he cannot think of a single one and instead decides to progress the talk along to a more productive topic.

"Alright, we'll use my genetic material," concedes Light with a slight sigh. "But I draw the line at these women you've chosen, I want someone else to be the mother. Someone who'd be willing to be both surrogate and donor preferably, someone we can keep an eye on at all times without asking questions, and someone who'll take excellent care of the baby while she's carrying it and not just for the money. There has to be a woman like that somewhere."

L is by now lost in thought as Light pulls up a few files on women in the area that are on a few clinic's surrogate list, Light's requirements for the mother swirling around in his head as he tries to make them fit into one person. _'A woman who would want to combine her genetic material to Light's, who would be willing to carry and care for it for reasons other than money. A woman who wouldn't mind surveillance and input from the two of us . . . of course!'_

"Misa!" declares L and Light nearly falls out of his seat. "Why didn't I see it sooner? She'd be the perfect person to be the mother of our child, I feel like such a fool for not realizing it before now."

When Light recovers from the shock, he looks at L incredulously. "You can't be serious, L. You really think Misa's the best choice to be the mother of our child? Isn't there anyone else?"

L thinks for a moment then grins wickedly. "Well, there's always Sayu but since we've agreed to use your material for creating this child, I think that crosses a few social norms that you'd rather not get into. No, Misa is definitely the woman for the job. She meets all of your qualifications including some you didn't even think of."

"And what are those?" asks Light, still trying to find the pitfalls in L's plan to have Misa involved in this.

"She's beautiful and so are you, so it stands to reason our child will be above society's expected physical norms," replies L somewhat wistfully. "Misa's also charming and social, with boundless energy, qualities which most parents would be happy to have in a child; and couple that with your brains and silver tongue, we'd have a successful child in all of the major areas. And don't worry, I'm sure your genes will kick out any of her ridiculous ones, like her childish nature and tendency to refer to herself in the third person; and hopefully her innate ability for obsession will also not be passed on. Plus she's already used to being under surveillance so that won't be a problem as far as adjusting."

' _Damn it, he's completely closed me out of any argument,'_ thinks Light bitterly. He really does not want to involve Misa at all, especially since he has been able to evade her presence for almost three years now, and he really did not want to destroy such an impressive streak. "Let's say I agree with this," says Light slowly, still not convinced Misa is the best choice. "How do we know that Misa will even agree to do this? I mean, isn't she seriously involved with Hideki Ryuga? She might not want to ruin her relationship by having her alleged ex-boyfriend's child."

L smirks. "Trust me, Light, I don't think that will be a problem. What might be a problem is when she agrees, I offer her a room here so we can make sure she doesn't do anything stupid while pregnant."

Light wants to call this whole thing off after L speaks. "You can't be serious, L?! Why in hell would you even want her here? Do you want to recreate the utter agony we experienced while she was incarcerated at the headquarters?"

"No, but I expect it would be a better idea than letting her be on her own with our baby," says L sternly. "I know you're not her biggest fan, Light, but the safety and well being of our baby should come first; so please, try not to think of the next ten months as something everlasting and painful. Instead think of them as a short time period in the long lifespan of our beloved child."

"When you put it that way, I guess ten months really isn't that long," says Light though it pains him a little to have L completely in the right. "Alright, get in touch with Misa and ask her to meet us to discuss the possibility with her. I'm not sure whether she'll accept but it's worth a shot."

L grins broadly then throws his arms around Light, kissing him deeply as his fingers card through Light's brunette locks. When they finally pull away, L is still smiling and seemingly happier than Light has ever seen him before, though he cannot argue with this new side of him; he so rarely smiled about anything except his cases. "I love you, Light," says L, his arms still holding Light close to him.

"I love you, too, L," replies Light sincerely. While he is still unhappy about Misa being their primary choice, he cannot deny that he is more than a little excited to start this process, especially now when he feels everything is stable and safe in their lives.

* * *

Days later, L and Light find themselves standing outside of Misa's penthouse, an intimidating guard stands between them and the front door, his sunglasses looking directly at the pair. Light is convinced for a moment that Misa put this man outside to tell them that the meeting is off and for them to just go home, but unfortunately for him, that is not the case.

"Light!" comes a happy cry from down the hall. L and Light look in the direction it came from and see Misa stepping off an elevator, her arms laden down with bags of various sizes and from different boutiques. "Light, I'm so happy to see you!" she says with a huge smile as she practically runs to them. "And you too, Ryuzaki."

"A pleasure as always, Misa," says L simply but he smiles.

Misa nods and then turns her attention back to Light, whom she is now standing directly in front of, her brown eyes sparkling as she looks up at him. "Oh Light, I've missed you so much, you can't imagine how happy I was to know that you were coming over. I thought being married to Ryuzaki meant you had forgotten about me."

Light forces himself to smile at her though her voice is grating against his nerves in the most painful way possible, not to mention having her so close is really suffocating. "That's impossible, Misa, I could never forget about you," says Light honestly, and he is completely sincere in his statement, though not for the reasons Misa thinks.

"I'm glad," she says before giving him a quick kiss on his cheek, then she looks to the man guarding her door. "Thanks for keeping an eye on things, Goro, but these guys are my friends and they're expected."

The bodyguard now identified as Goro nods wordlessly before stepping aside and opening the door to the penthouse, which Misa bounces happily into though she has a little trouble maneuvering her purchases so they do not hit the door frame. L and Light follow her inside, L looking very amused as Light scrubs his cheek with his fingernails to get Misa's saliva effectively off of his skin. He is very happy that L decided to go with him after all, otherwise he might have done something regrettable. While Misa held no memories of her Death Note, having been part of the agreement with Rem in order to spare her life, she still held an unfailing infatuation for Light something he wished to high heaven would have disappeared with her memories. Sadly for him, Misa still seemed to carry a torch that someday he will be hers despite his marriage to L.

Misa deposits her bags on one of the three couches in her living room then slips off her incredibly high heels that bring her height down back to normal and jumps onto the nearest sofa, looking completely exhausted. Light and L take off their shoes and select the couch nearest Misa though Light sits as far as he can away from her while L takes the closer seat, sitting perched in his usual position. Misa looks up and rolls her eyes when she sees L.

"After all this time you still can't sit right, Ryuzaki," she says with a huff as she straightens out her shirt a little. It is bright orange with sequins sewn on every available piece of the fabric, her pants are surprisingly normal a pair of khakis though upon closer inspection L and Light can see the embroidered vines with flowers going up the side seams.

"At least Misa's sense of style has improved since we last saw you," replies L candidly, and she sticks her tongue out at him.

"Okay, so why are you guys here anyway?" she asks, dropping her previously cheerful demeanor. "I don't hear from you in years and then out of the blue I get a message saying you want to meet with me and discuss something important, so what is it?"

L looks at Light who shrugs, they were here for a reason, they might as well be blunt about what it is.

"Well, Light and I have decided to start a family," says L slowly, looking at Misa for any sign of comprehension. "And we have settled on surrogacy as the best way to start our family, and we would like you to be both egg donor and surrogate."

Misa eyes them suspiciously, obviously not believing their story. "Why me?"

"You're the most logical choice," says Light smoothly, if anyone can convince Misa to do this it is him. "Ryuzaki and I already know you, we trust that you wouldn't do anything to hurt the baby, plus with your genetic contribution the baby would be impossibly beautiful and just as sweet as you." Light almost chokes on his words but he knows better than to jeopardize this mission.

His words seem to the do the trick as Misa noticeably relaxes then sits up so she is on her knees on the couch cushion. "You really think I'd be a good mom?" she asks, her eyes shining so bright they look like twin stars. "That's the best compliment you've ever given me, Light!"

L clears his throat. "You are aware that while you would contribute an egg and ten months of your life, you wouldn't actually be the child's parent. That right belongs to Light and myself, you would be paid handsomely for your effort and sent periodic updates on its wellbeing, but nothing else."

Misa frowns deeply. "That's stupid, of course I would want to be part of my baby's life! If I agree to do this, I want to be there for it, and not just as someone that gave them life then stepped out. I want to be a mom, not just some incubator."

Light knows exactly where this is going and he wishes he had just sucked it up and chosen one of the women L had selected earlier. "Misa, you have your career to think about," he says kindly, wanting her to think twice about this. "While it's commendable you want to do this for us, it is a little unfair that we ask you to give up your career for ten months, and if you became a full time parent you'd be giving it up completely. I know what your work means to you, and I don't want you to give it up just for this."

L shoots Light a nasty glare but Light ignores him calmly, he will be damned before he has Misa move in permanently with them, he just recently got L to stay in one place to have a life with him the last thing he wants is this.

Misa seems to seriously think about what Light has said, her brow is furrowed in deep thought as she tries to reach a compromise or a conclusion. "Then how about this: I stay a local celebrity, doing things around Japan instead of going international like my agency wants but I get a house close to you so when the baby's older it can visit me? I won't live with you but close enough that I can see my baby whenever I want and you can still be its parents."

Light and L look at each other dumbstruck, they had not expected this kind of compromise from Misa, if anything they had been expecting something similar to their previous arrangement. Misa looks at them expectantly like she is waiting for a grade on an assignment, her eyes full of eager light.

"That sounds reasonable," says Light, now entirely defeated. "So long as you're okay with staying local and not being an international superstar like you wanted."

Misa nods enthusiastically. "More than anything! I never thought I'd get the chance to be a mother, since Hideki doesn't want to have any kids but I do, and this is the perfect opportunity especially since it's for you, Light."

"And Ryuzaki," quips Light but she does not notice.

"What are you going to do about Mr. Ryuga?" asks L, changing the direction of the conversation.

"I guess I'll have to break up with him," she replies simply. "We haven't seen much of each other lately, so it'll be easy, a quick phone call and that'll be that. It'll be nice to see you guys again, it was fun before, if you ignore the surveillance cameras and the fact Ryuzaki stole Light from me."

"I did no such thing," says L as he reaches over and holds Light's hand. "Light came to me, I didn't have to steal him from anybody."

Light wants to vomit at this discussion but maintains control somehow, he hates it when L tries to rile Misa up, he had almost forgotten how sickening it is to witness and be a part of since his remarks usually concerned him. He squeezes L's hand to play along, smiling at him like he is happy to be fought over by two childish people. All the while he is plotting escape routes.

"Fine, whatever," huffs Misa, crossing her arms.

"There's one other thing," says L and Light is mildly interested in what he has to say, figuring it is another smart remark about how Light came out on his own volition. "Since you'll be staying with us while you're pregnant, something I hope you don't mind, you should know that I am the detective known as L."

' _What the hell is he thinking?! Telling Misa his secret is the worst possible idea!'_ thinks Light as he almost jumps from the couch to knock Misa out so she will forget that last part of the conversation.

Misa looks from L to Light then back to L. "I already figured that out for myself," she remarks with a shrug, as if she had not heard a classified secret. "I'm not as dumb as you two seem to think I am, I kind of knew Ryuzaki was L by the way he ordered the police around and how he could coordinate stuff like putting Matsu in as my manger. I just didn't say anything since no one else did, and I didn't want to out him if the others didn't know."

"Hmm perhaps you really were the right choice for this," mumbles L and Light is fuming. "Anyway, are you alright with living with us while you're pregnant? We want you to be comfortable of course, and Light and I are more than equipped to help you out during that time, when you've delivered you'll of course be free to live wherever you like."

"Sounds good to me," says Misa happily. "As long as I don't have to go everywhere supervised again, I'm fine with anything. This is going to be fun, I'm so excited!"

L reflects her sentiments as she keeps talking while Light sits and broods over the situation. Just when he thought he was free of Misa and that part of his life, L goes and pulls her into what should be a glorious milestone for the two of them. He knows this is just a temporary arrangement and he will only have to suffer her presence in his home for less than a year, but the thought of her having contact with his child vexes him.

' _I guess there's no way to cut her away from my life completely now,'_ he laments before putting an arm around L's shoulders. _'It could be worse, she could actually be my wife.'_ And with that thought in mind, he holds L just a little bit tighter as he starts to relax, knowing he will have to get used to her talking nonstop if he is going to survive.


	6. Chapter 6

Success

Light spins a pencil in his hand as he looks out of the window beside his desk, his body might be present but his mind is with L and Misa; today is the day they have the first ultrasound of their baby. Sadly he cannot be present at the appointment, since it coincides with a meeting he has to be present for, if it were his choice he would be already home by now; for once he is jealous of the fact L can stay home and do his work whenever it suits him. He is so absorbed in his thoughts, he does not notice his father walking up to his desk.

"Detective Yagami," says Soichiro firmly, startling the young man.

"Deputy Director," says Light quickly, standing up and giving him a salute.

"Relax, Light," chuckles Soichiro and Light resumes a relaxed position. "I just wanted to come and tell you I was very happy with your latest report, as usual. Your attention to detail is unrivaled and you noticed a few things the others missed, so I hope you'll speak in today's meeting."

"Oh yeah, sure," is Light's distracted reply and Soichiro raises an eyebrow, his son is not usually so lost in thought when they speak.

Soichiro puts a hand on his shoulder. "Light, is something wrong? You're not quite yourself today."

Light looks at his father and swallows hard, not entirely sure how to explain the situation to his father since he and L had agreed on not telling Light's family until it was certain there would be a baby. He forces a reassuring smile, hoping his father will buy the act. "I'm fine, Dad, really," he says convincingly. "I've just been thinking about the case, it's pretty intense and I guess I just lost track of myself."

"Well, don't become too distracted," says Soichiro kindly and he pats Light's shoulder. "I'll see you in the meeting, son, make sure Matsuda's ready to give his part of the report this time."

"I will, Deputy Director," says Light and his father walks away. Light releases the breath he has been holding then sits back down at his desk, pulling out his phone and selecting L's number from the contacts screen.

 _'This is driving me crazy! How's Misa doing?'_

He waits a few moments before the phone buzzes in his hand.

 _'I'm sorry you can't be here, Light. And she's doing fine, still feeling a little sick but she ate some toast. She says hi.'_

Light immediately replies, unable to help himself. _'This is a good sign, right? She's having morning sickness so she must still be pregnant.'_

 _'Yes, according to the literature. On the other hand, she could just be faking to keep from disappointing you.'_

Light tries not to growl too loudly at L's reply. _'Please don't jinx this by saying crap like that, I honestly wouldn't put it past her. I still can't believe it actually worked, now we just have to make sure it stays that way.'_

 _'Light, please stop worrying, the outcome will be the same regardless. I know you'd rather be here but your work's just as important as this, so please try to distract yourself and I will let you know how the appointment goes. I love you.'_

He sighs in defeat, a feeling he is becoming unbearably familiar with. _'Fine, I'll try. I love you, too. Tell Misa to take it easy.'_

There is no reply so Light puts his phone back in his satchel then leans back in his chair, his mind still a million miles away. He desperately wishes he could be with L and Misa right now, like he had been when they did the artificial insemination and when Misa's pregnancy test came back positive. He thinks about what it might be like when the child is born and frowns. _'Will it be like this? Will I miss out on the important moments in its life just like Dad did with me and Sayu? I don't want that for my child, I want better.'_

Light sighs again then pulls out a file someone dropped on his desk earlier, he might as well start working otherwise he will drive himself and the others even crazier than he has already.

* * *

L puts his phone away in his pocket and goes to the refrigerator, selecting a nice big slice of chocolate cake and a fruit cup then finds a pudding cup for Misa, making sure it is the vanilla flavor she requested of him before shutting the door and grabbing the necessary utensils. He then returns to the family room where Misa is lounging in a chair, her feet up and a magazine in her hands, she looks up when she hears him and smiles. Without a word he hands her the pudding cup and spoon then goes to sit down on the couch, balancing his plate of cake and fruit cup masterfully as he sits down in front of his work. Silently they eat their respective snacks, neither one really showing any signs of breaking the silence, until Misa has a thought.

"Do you hate me, L?" she asks casually as she takes another small bite of her pudding cup, pacing herself so as not to upset her stomach.

L glances up from his work, his forked piece of cake resting between his thumb and index finger. "No, I don't hate you, Misa," he replies before eating the bite. "Does this have something to do with my relationship with Light?"

Misa nods. "Kind of, I mean, Light told me that you two were in love with each other even when he was with me. And even after he told me, I still didn't let him go easily, so I can't imagine you like me much since I stood in the way of you and Light."

"You weren't really much of an obstacle, Misa," says L with a shrug and Misa pouts. "Light's always known about his preferences and since being with you was not what he wanted, he simply walked away. If anything, I'm surprised you don't hate both of us."

She looks away guiltily. "Actually, I did hate you and Light for a long time. I thought you had used me and that Light had tricked me, I thought more than anything that how things ended up proved that. I spent a long time resenting ever being involved with Light and for allowing you to manipulate me when I should've seen what you were doing; for a time I even considered suicide. I'm not sure when I stopped hating you but I'm really glad I did, looking back you two were my best friends and I missed that."

L is floored by her admission and when he looks at her properly, he sees her in a new light; instead of the bubbly model without a brain, he sees her as a fragile young woman whom had been deeply hurt by him and his husband. He is not sure how to process this sudden change, after all he has never seen the true effects of his meddling in people's lives before now, and he stares down at his feet.

"Misa, I'm sorry for what I did to you," he says quietly but she hears him anyway. "You were a good friend to me, and you didn't deserve what happened to you."

Misa's eyes go wide and she nearly flies out of her chair, rushing over to embrace L for all she is worth. "Oh Ryuzaki! That's so sweet of you to say and I know you mean it, I'm sorry for upsetting you, I shouldn't have done that."

Cautiously L wraps his arms around Misa, which causes her to tighten her grip on him, while unexpected it is not unpleasant. "It's fine, Misa, please don't apologize for something like that again. You haven't done anything wrong, if it's any consolation I believe you are the most pure hearted one of us all, and the fact you can forgive Light and I is a testament to that fact."

"Thanks, Ryuzaki," giggles Misa as she pulls away from L. "I'm glad we're friends again, it's nice."

"I feel the same way," he replies sincerely and she grins. Misa goes back to her chair and picks up her pudding cup and magazine while L resumes his work then lounges on the opposite side of the couch he is on. Without looking away from his laptop, L grabs a couple of pillows from his end and props them under Misa's feet, arranging them based on size then goes back to being full immersed in his work. Though he does not miss Misa's sweet smile to him.

* * *

"The doctor will be with you shortly, Miss Amane," says the nurse as she leaves L and Misa alone in the maternity room. Misa had requested a private room for her appointment, citing her celebrity status as the reason but really it was to prevent the public from seeing too much of L and assuming he was her new boyfriend. The last thing they need is for L's face to be seen alongside Misa's on a tabloid.

L takes a seat in the armchair beside the bed sitting in his usual position while Misa climbs into the bed, looking very content as she stretches out. The room they are in is usually reserved for delivering mothers but since it has a door and closed in walls, the staff allowed them to be there for the appointment to provide them the necessary privacy. L makes a mental note to request a doctor who does home visits from now on, to avoid this show and dance every time they arrive.

"This is a pretty nice room," says Misa as she turns on the television located on a moveable arm above the bed, she flips through a few channels before finding one about pop culture. L glances over at the screen and seizes the remote immediately in order to change it to a more appropriate station.

"There will be none of that," he says sternly as he finds a show about findings on Mars. "You might be the mother, but Light and I are the parents, so we get to decide what the baby gets to watch and that includes when it's in your womb. If you're going to insist on watching television, please keep it limited to the channels Light and I deem appropriate."

Misa pouts and tries to grab the remote back but L is too quick. "Come on, Ryuzaki, you let me read those magazines. TV isn't any worse than those."

"Yes but the baby can't see what you're reading," argues L, still keeping the remote out of her reach while opening the book he brought. "The baby can hear what you're watching and I doubt it appreciates being bombarded with such frivolity. Now compose yourself before the doctor enters and sees you behaving in a manner less than becoming for an expecting mother."

Without another word, Misa rests back on the bed and stares at the television with a glare that could rival L's. She starts to rub her tiny baby bump. "Don't worry, honey," she says sweetly. "When you come visit me, you can watch whatever you want, no boring documentaries for you."

"Misa," warns L not even looking up from his book. "If you're going to insist on parenting our child in a way that undermines me and Light, your visits will be supervised and limited to one every six months."

"Fine," she grumbles and crosses her arms as she watches the documentary.

Minutes later there is a knock on the door then a woman wearing a white lab coat steps in, a tablet in hand and she smiles at Misa and L.

"Hello Miss Amane," says the doctor as she approaches. "I understand you're in for your first official ultrasound today."

"She is," answers L and the doctor stares at him. "And I don't understand why you insist on wasting time with such questions when you should already know perfectly well why she's here today."

The doctor gives L a pointed look before addressing Misa again. "The nurse mentioned that you already know your due date and that's why you didn't have that ultrasound, so today we're just going to take some headshots of baby."

"Sounds great," says Misa quickly so L cannot remark. "And don't mind my friend, he's just a little excited since this is his and his husband's baby."

The doctor appears a little surprised. "Oh, I didn't realize this was a surrogacy case. No matter, we're still ready to do the ultrasound, how far along are you Miss Amane?"

"Nine weeks today," she replies enthusiastically. "I was looking online, I should be able to see the baby in there and get proper pictures."

"That's correct," says the doctor kindly, already warming up to Misa. "Now, since you've already determined your due date, could you tell me what it is so I can be sure?"

"She's due August twenty-eighth," says L shortly and the doctor writes it down on her tablet. "Will these inane questions take much longer?"

The doctor sighs a little as she writes. "No, I'm glad to say we're done for right now. I'll send for the ultrasound machine and we'll see how the little one is doing."

L and Misa grin at each other as the doctor steps outside of the door, coming back in moments later with the ultrasound technician whom is rolling in a portable ultrasound machine. The doctor instructs L to leave the room while they prepare Misa for the ultrasound, he obeys the order but is slightly indignant about it, then reenters when he hears Misa calling for him. He takes the spot beside her and watches the screen intently as the tech moves the wand over Misa's belly, searching for the best position. The tech presses a few buttons and the room is filled with the sound of the baby's heartbeat, both Misa and L look at each other with misty eyes as they continue to watch the screen.

"Could you record that sound?" asks L, his eyes still glued to the monitor.

"I don't see why not," says the tech happily as she presses a few more buttons. "There, it should be recording now, just remind me about it before I leave."

"He will," laughs Misa and she grows quiet when she sees a 4D image appear on the screen. "Oh my god."

The baby is still small but clearly visible on the monitor, its tiny hands and feet somewhat human in appearance and its head is swollen looking but neither Misa nor L care about how it looks right now. They just care about the fact it is there.

"That's the baby!" squeals Misa and she grabs on to L's hand.

The tiny creature enraptures the detective almost immediately, even though it hardly looks like a baby at all. He glances down at Misa's belly then back up at the screen, amazed that this tiny creature is growing inside of her, and even more so by the fact that this is his and Light's child. They watch as the baby flutters around, moving a little in each direction, its appendages stretching and waving as it moves. All the while the tech takes pictures.

"Can you put one of the pictures on the other screen?" asks L as he pulls out his phone.

"No, use mine, it has better resolution," says Misa, using her head to indicate her purse. L reaches down and pulls out her phone, then accesses it with little trouble in order to access the camera; he captures the image on the second monitor and sends it to Light in a matter of seconds.

"There, now he'll be happy," says L as he hands Misa her phone back. They share a smile as the doctor begins speaking about Misa's prognosis.

* * *

Light is barely paying attention to Mogi's section of the report when his phone buzzes and he looks around hurriedly to make sure no one is watching him as he checks his messages. He is a little surprised to see that it is from Misa and not L, but he opens it regardless.

 _'Look at what we created!'_ the message reads and there is an option to download an image, he clicks on it and is stunned to see a 4D image of his baby. He cannot believe it as he looks at the image, the baby is there after all and healthy by the looks of things; all of his worrying really had been for nothing! Without thinking he jumps up from his seat and shouts loudly, then all too late realizes where he is and who is watching him.

"Is there something you would like to add, Detective Yagami?" asks Soichiro as he looks at his son over his glasses.

"Well," says Light a little embarrassed at his reaction, though that does not stop him from holding up his phone so all in the room can see the picture. "You're going to be a grandpa, Deputy Director!"


	7. Chapter 7

Assembly

"L, it doesn't go in there!"

"It most certainly does! They are of similar shape, so logically it must!"

"No! Dammit L, it's not going to fit no matter how much you shove."

"Then I shall procure the proper lubrication."

"Stop! You're going to break it!"

There is a loud cracking noise followed by angered groans as L and Light fall sideways to the ground, both ignoring the various pieces of crib poking into their bodies. For the last hour and a half they have been trying to build the crib Light's parents bought them and so far all they had succeeded in doing was filing a complaint against the company who made the easy-to-assemble crib. Watari had offered to come over and build it for them, but they had adamantly refused the offer saying that they were both capable of putting together a simple crib. Looking back they should have just accepted his offer as they were both now on the verge of using the crib as kindling and simply putting the baby in their bed for the rest of its life.

Misa walks by the nursery, carrot sticks and peanut butter in hand, and sees the two smartest people on the planet yielding in defeat to a mere crib. She leans on the doorframe as she takes a bite of her snack, looking assumedly at the two men. "What are you two geniuses trying to do now?" she asks, poorly hiding her glee.

Light is the first to sit up and he glowers at Misa. "We're trying to build this stupid, fuc—frustrating crib," he grumbles, keeping his language mildly child appropriate. "And L keeps putting the wrong pieces in the wrong places."

"I wouldn't be doing so if you did not insist on handing me the wrong pieces," snaps L as he too sits up. "I mean really, who hands a man a cylindrical shaped object to fit in a square hole? What an idiot."

"I'd say the bigger idiot is the man who kept trying for fifteen minutes to make it fit!" shouts Light and L is about to retort when Misa blows a whistle. The sound startles the two detectives into ceasing their verbal battle though both are stunned at her action.

"Okay, you two, knock it off!" she shouts as she puts a silver whistle back in her pocket. "Sitting here fighting isn't going to accomplish anything." Calmly she comes over to where they are sitting and after a little bit of struggling with her four almost five month pregnant belly, she sits down between them. "Alright, now we're going to handle this like adults and no more arguing, am I clear?"

L and Light look at each other in shock, they have never seen this side of Misa before and they are unsure what to think of it.

"Am I clear?" she repeats a little more sternly than before and they both nod. "Good, now Light, please hand me the instructions."

For a moment Light looks confused. "What instructions?"

"I see the trouble with this started early," mumbles Misa and she searches under the pieces of crib and the box they came in before coming up with a packet of instructions. "Okay, now that we have the instructions, I want you both to arrange the pieces according to how this picture shows them." She holds the booklet of instructions so they can both see and without another word they get to work sorting the pieces as Misa dictated. When they are finished, they see that the piece they broke is not all that important as they are fortunate enough to have spares.

"I guess we didn't screw up too badly," mutters Light as he looks at the broken piece they discarded in the box.

"Now L, please pick up pieces A and C, they fit together and Light, you put B and D together both using the silver screws and Allen wrenches," instructs Misa, enjoying the role reversal. "When you're done with that, A fits with D and C fits with B."

Light and L begin fitting the pieces together as she told them, neither of them objecting to her commands as they are sure they would not have even made it this far without her and those pesky instructions. They continue to listen to her surprisingly detailed instructions, hardly straying from her exact words as they slowly but surely build the crib to the instructions' specifications, amazed that it really is as easy to build as the manufacturers claim.

"Great job, you two," says Misa happily as Light and L move the crib in the little nook with a window, positioning the crib so it is not touching any of the walls or directly under the window. When they planned the layout of the nursery, Misa had insisted on the crib being under that window and refused to budge on the issue despite numerous attempts at reasoning with her. Finally after a long drawn out fight, Light and L relented, but only on the agreement that the crib would be not directly under the window so the baby could not grab curtains or anything of a similar nature when it is older. Fortunately for all, Misa agreed.

"Please tell me that didn't take as long as I think it did," says Light as he looks at his watch, amazed that only thirty minutes have passed since Misa entered the room.

Misa nods happily. "That was so easy! I thought it was going to take a lot longer when we started."

L and Light roll their eyes, neither one willing to admit just how inept they feel at the moment, then they take a step back from the crib to admire their handiwork. The cherry wood is much brighter than they thought it would be now that it is set against the pale yellow walls of the nursery, and the sleigh style is exactly what they had wanted. Now there is only one thing left to do in the room now that the major furniture pieces were set up.

"Time to decorate!" squeals Misa, knowing that Light and L no longer had any excuses to keep her from buying accessories for the room. "I saw this beautiful set of pink sheets—"

"Pink?" interrupts Light, crossing his arms. "Misa, we agreed that we would decorate in gender neutral colors, or did that slip your mind like the time you came home with that frilly dress for the baby?"

Misa pouts and crosses her arms. "Well, Mr. I-can't-build-a-crib, I happen to think this baby's going to be a girl. And she's going to need pink sheets and frilly dresses when she arrives and I intend to have them in spades."

Light rubs his eyes in frustration. "And what if you're wrong? What if it's a boy?"

"It won't be!" snaps Misa and the men flinch at the severity of her tone. "Ever since I got pregnant, I've had dreams of holding a little girl with brown hair and big brown eyes, and she's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. I believe in fate and that's a big sign to me that I'm pregnant with a girl."

"Misa, you shouldn't put any stock in dreams such as those," says L as he traces his fingers over the rails of the crib. "It's more likely they're products of your subconscious projecting your desires in a more physical form. Fate doesn't know what you're pregnant with any more than you do."

Misa scowls. "So are you both telling me then that you want a boy?"

Light tries to keep calm, as she clearly does not understand anything that they are saying. "That's not it at all, what we're trying to tell you is that unless you have solid proof of the baby's gender then you shouldn't assume you know what it is. Now, we'll decorate the nursery however you want it, just in yellow, white, or green."

"You really don't believe me, do you?" she asks, slightly heartbroken. "The dreams . . . they're so real . . . I don't want to believe they aren't."

Against his better judgment, Light walks over and embraces Misa, unable to stand looking at her in such a sorry state. Hesitantly she returns his gesture only to start crying against his chest, making him momentarily regret his actions.

Misa looks up at him, tears rolling down her cheeks and her brown eyes holding back more. "Light, be honest, do you want a boy or a girl?"

"I . . . I wouldn't mind a boy," admits Light and finds it difficult to look her in the eye afterwards.

"And what about you, L?" asks Misa, now directing her devastated look to him.

L simply shrugs as he gazes out the window. "I am content with either, as I never thought to have a family to begin with. You cannot blame Light for his preference either, Misa, after all it is his familial obligation to continue his surname and bloodline. Sadly girls have yet to be seen as capable of either."

Misa pushes away from Light and runs from the room still crying, the two detectives stand there and listen to her footsteps retreat to her room down the hall before the door slams behind her. L and Light look at each other, both equally confused as to what just happened.

"Were you being honest when you said you didn't care?" asks Light.

"I was," replies L and he walks over to Light, taking his hand in his and squeezing it. "Were you being honest when you said you wanted a boy more?"

Light looks away and shrugs. "A boy would be easier, I mean, after all I've lived through all of that and know how to handle most of it. I don't have much experience in raising girls, I was nearly five when Sayu was born and I wasn't interested in being a big brother until she was older. Besides, if it's a girl . . . it might be like Misa."

L chuckles warmly. "Now we get to the true root of the problem. You're not happy having Misa here, and you're concerned that if the baby is a girl it will take after her in personality and then you will never be rid of Misa even if she moves to India."

Light nods and feels ashamed of himself for thinking such things. After all, Misa is doing them a huge favor by carrying their child and he should know better than to think so poorly of her, but past experience in dealing with her dominates in his mind. He looks at the crib and in his mind's eye he sees himself leaning over and pulling out a beautiful baby girl in a bright pink dress covered in ribbons and lace like the one Misa bought. He tries to picture a similar image but with a boy instead and somehow he feels empty, even though he knows he would love a boy just the same as a girl.

"You want a girl, don't you?" asks L, cupping Light's cheek so he is looking back at him and Light nods. "Then I think we can reach a compromise with Misa, if you're willing."

* * *

Misa holds a pillow from her bed to her chest as she cries into it, trying to muffle the sounds so as not to disturb Light and L further. She knows that Light is not particularly fond of her presence in his house; she has heard him say as much to L when they think she is not in the room or paying attention. What she had hoped was when she agreed to be their surrogate, was that this would be a chance to rebuild a relationship with Light, not a romantic one but a friendship. Since they parted several years ago, she had wished she had been a better friend to him considering she could not be his lover.

Suddenly there is a knock at her door. "Misa?" comes Light's voice through the door. "Misa, it's Light, could I come in?"

Immediately she wipes her eyes and regains some semblance of composure. "Sure, come on in," she says feigning delight. Moments later Light enters the room and comes to sit down beside her, sitting a few inches away from her, his elbows resting on his thighs and his head down.

"Misa, if you want to buy pink for the baby, you can," says Light softly and Misa's eyes widen.

"Do you believe that we're having a girl?" she asks tentatively, looking hopeful.

Light meets her gaze before reaching over and taking her hand. "I think I should trust your instincts a little bit more, after all you are the one carrying the baby. If you think it's a girl, then maybe we should have a little faith in you . . . especially since I want a girl too."

Misa squeezes his hand. "Really?! I thought you wanted a boy, Light."

"I thought I did too," admits Light. "But then when I imagined holding a baby girl, I couldn't shake the picture from my mind, it felt too perfect. And of all things I pictured her in, it was that lacy dress you bought a few weeks ago, honestly I thought my imagination would be a little more sensible than that."

"I guess I'm rubbing off on you," teases Misa but she stops herself from going further. "Or maybe I'm just too overwhelming."

Light squeezes her hand affectionately. "Misa, we haven't exactly recovered from the last time we were together, if anything we've been walking on eggshells around each other since day one of this whole endeavor. And if we're going to effectively raise this baby," he leans over and gently rubs her belly, "we need to get along not just for its sake but for ours as well, so what do you say to starting over and being friends?"

Misa wants to cry all over again, but this time out of joy. "Okay, Light, I'm willing to be friends if you are. Do you think we could go baby shopping together soon? And could you be present at the next ultrasound? I think I want to find out what we're actually having so we don't have to worry about what we're buying."

"Of course, Misa," replies Light and simultaneously they lean over and hug. For once, Light does not mind the contact with her, his heart feels lighter as they pull away smiling.

* * *

During Misa's next ultrasound, their private doctor does as she requests and focuses the image so they can determine what exactly they are having. And as luck will have it, Misa's instincts are right after all.


	8. Chapter 8

Pampering

" _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_ ," sings Misa as she fixes herself a peanut butter and rice sandwich, " _you make me happy when skies are grey . . ._ "

L groans, pushing his earplugs further in his ears as he tries to focus on the files Mello and Near sent him about one of their cases, although that was easier said than done considering Misa has been singing for the better part of two hours straight. He considers it a blessing when Misa's voice abruptly drops off before she can start the next verse of the lullaby and is about to start working again when he looks up and sees her leaning on the counter, her head in her hands.

"Misa?" asks L as he takes out his earplugs. "Misa, is everything alright?"

Misa's response is a low groan and L jumps up from his spot on the couch, racing over to her position, he can hardly believe that he moved that fast. Gently he pulls he away from the counter and she buries her head against his chest though she does not make a move to embrace him, her hands covering her eyes instead. There is definitely something wrong if Misa dismisses an opportunity to demonstrate affection.

"It's my head," she says, her voice muffled by her hands. "I've been fighting this headache all day and it's gotten worse, now I can't really see without things going fuzzy."

"I see," says L with a small smirk though he knows the symptoms do not sound promising. "Well, I'll call the doctor and have him come check you out. Until then, I think it would be best if you just laid down in a dark room, I'll bring you your sandwich and a glass of orange juice."

"Thank you, Ryuzaki," sighs Misa and she allows herself to be carried by L up to her room, the pain almost too unbearable for her to move.

When they arrive, L situates her on her bed, pulling up one of the many blankets she insisted on keeping around and tucks it in around her; he then goes to pull the blinds so her room is darkened enough that the light will not hurt her eyes. Looking over at her, he frowns when he hears her whimpering, he hates seeing her in such a state especially when she has been doing everything right. Mentally he prays that whatever is ailing her can be resolved quickly.

* * *

The doctor arrives a short while later, going straight up to Misa's room with L right behind him, the detective watches over his shoulder as he asks Misa a series of questions about her symptoms and their longevity. He then proceeds to examine Misa's face and hands, making a few noises that neither Misa nor L can interpret as being good or bad before he reaches into his bag, producing a plastic cup.

"Miss Amane, I need you to give a sample of urine," says the doctor calmly and Misa nods, taking the cup with shaking hands. With help from the doctor and L, they manage to get her to the washroom then they step out of the room completely in order to give her some privacy.

A few minutes later, Misa emerges, calling for L to help her and he rushes in, wrapping an arm around her waist and taking her free hand so she does not go falling to the ground as the doctor comes in and takes the sample from Misa.

"I'm going to run a few tests on this," explains the doctor as he takes the sample to his bag. "Is there a room I could use?"

"The spare room across the hall," replies L as he helps Misa back into bed. The doctor nods and leaves the room, L is just about to follow after him when he feels something grab onto his hand.

"Please don't leave," Misa begs quietly, her brown eyes imploring him to remain with her.

L's gaze softens and he eases himself back onto the bed, still holding Misa's hand as they wait in a tense silence for the doctor to reappear.

The doctor enters the room some time later, a very grim look on his face as he approaches Misa and L's position. "Miss Amane, it appears you've developed preeclampsia," he says, his grey eyes falling to her seven-month belly. "As of right now, you are on strict bed rest. You can only get up to use the washroom to bathe and use the facilities, but other than that you must remain in bed for a majority of the time. There are a few medications safe for you to take to monitor your blood pressure and such, which I will leave with your friend so you can read over them later."

"Excuse me, doctor," says L, his dark eyes focused on the man in the white coat. "Why is this coming up now? Surely this would have been detected in Misa's last appointment."

"Preeclampsia can develop at any time," replies the doctor smoothly. "As I recall during her last visit, Miss Amane's blood pressure was slightly elevated and she was complaining of swelling in her hands. Luckily we caught this sooner rather than later so we can intervene, but it's still a very serious concern."

"I understand," sighs L, putting a hand to Misa's belly. "Is the baby in danger?"

"For the moment no," says the doctor with a small smile. "An ultrasound will have to be done, of course, and we'll keep an eye on the baby's vitals as well. From what I can tell, Miss Amane's condition is in the early stages and her prognosis is good, though only if she follows my instructions."

L looks at Misa who nods. "Alright, what are they?"

* * *

"Preeclampsia?!" exclaims Light as he changes out of his suit, his phone on speaker. He had just arrived in Nagano for an investigation and was in the process of getting ready for dinner when L called him. "You've got to be kidding me."

" _I'm afraid not_ ," says L, his voice slightly muffled. " _The doctor seemed hopeful about her odds but I'm not so sure, she could have internal bleeding and us not know it_."

Light resists groaning at L's words. "Ryuzaki, that image is less than helpful right now."

" _I apologize_ ," replies L stiffly. " _But after taking care of Misa's whims all day, one can hardly expect me to be in a better mood. Perhaps you could take a few days off and assist in caring for Misa and the baby? After all, you are always looking for ways of being more involved_."

"I'll consider it, believe me," says Light blithely. "Anyway, what else did the doctor say, besides bed rest?"

" _He's prescribing her some medication to control her blood pressure,_ " says L. " _Apparently this prescription is easy on the baby but still effective, I have looked it up myself and found the doctor's claims to have some truth to them. I wish he had not instructed her to stay in bed, she is rather bothersome to care for, much like a spoiled child._ "

Light manages to suppress a particularly loud laugh. "Well, I'll be home soon and take over for you."

" _I thank whatever spiritual entity for that,_ " says L with a growl, Misa's shrill voice in the background asking for some more yogurt and this time Light laughs.

* * *

When Light arrives home a few days later, he runs up to his and L's room, changing into more comfortable attire before making the short walk to Misa's bedroom just down the hall close to the nursery. Entering, he sees her surrounded by pillows with her television on and laptop close at hand, an article pulled up about some of her celebrity friends; Misa herself is eating what looks like vanilla pudding with mandarin slices on top. When she sees him she smiles broadly, waving at him with the spoon still in her mouth, he grins in response and sits down on the edge of her bed.

"Light! I'm so glad you're home!" she exclaims once her mouth is no longer occupied with her snack. "Ryuzaki's gone missing! He went out yesterday to pick up some cookies and never came back, I tried calling him but my phone's missing too."

Light's eyes go wide. "If that's so then how have you been able to get food?"

Misa gestures to the mini-fridge in the corner. "Ryuzaki had Watari install that when I was first confined to my bedroom, he put some pudding and a few other snacks in there for me. He said it's the same distance as me going to the bathroom so I'm technically not breaking the doctor's orders."

"I'm so sorry, Misa," sighs Light and he stands up. "How about I go downstairs and make you some actual food? It'd probably be best for you if you had something with more protein in your stomach versus sweets."

"Thanks, Light!" says Misa happily then she frowns. "But what about L? I mean, shouldn't finding him be our top priority?"

Light smiles gently as he puts a hand on her belly. "That's my priority, Misa, yours is to keep yourself calm and relaxed so the baby stays safe. If anything, you should use this time to come up with baby girl names, and nothing Western this time."

Misa pouts. "I still don't see what's wrong with 'Britney'."

"There is so much wrong with that name," argues Light, rolling his eyes. "Either you come up with a viable name that embraces the baby's heritage or we're going with L's pick."

"No!" shouts Misa, her cheeks going red with anger. "I will not let you name this sweet baby such a terrible name."

"Misa, there's nothing wrong with 'Lyuba'," says Light, wishing she would just relent on the name since they have spent literally hours arguing about it since they found out the gender.

Misa will not be swayed. "I don't care if it is Russian for 'love' it's a terrible name and sounds like it's short for 'lubrication'."

Light thinks on this for a moment, having focused initially on the meaning rather than the spelling. "Alright, it's out then. Come up with something then and we'll talk about it later."

"Okay," says Misa triumphantly. "For dinner, could you make me a veggie roll? Cucumbers and carrots please."

"Alright, sounds good to me," replies Light and he heads for the door. "Anything specific to drink?"

"Orange ramune, please!" orders Misa with a smile.

Light nods then heads down to the kitchen, pulling out his phone as he does so and calls L's number from his speed dial, he waits only two rings before his husband answers.

" _Light, I'm glad you've safely returned_ ," says L and Light can hear the relief in his voice. " _I trust your trip was well worth your time?_ "

"To a point, we gathered some new evidence but no leads," replies Light as he starts gathering the ingredients for his and Misa's dinner. "So, Misa said you went out to get cookies and abandoned her for the last day and a half."

" _That is correct_ ," replies L and Light bites back a barbed comment. " _I found her demands ridiculous and trivial, as well as bothersome as they interfered with my work. I could hardly get anything done with her ordering me about_."

Light tries not to belabor the point that L is acting childish, after all that would just lead to a completely unnecessary argument that would distract them from this current one. "Ryuzaki, I know she isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with, and can be a little bit more demanding than Napoleon."

" _Napoleon has nothing on Misa,_ " interjects L. " _She makes him look like an agreeable person in comparison._ "

"Be that as it may, I don't think you're being fair to her," says Light carefully as he begins prepping the cucumbers. "She didn't exactly ask to get preeclampsia and she can't help the fact that she's on bed rest."

L is silent on the other end of the phone for a moment. " _Even so, she shouldn't treat me like a slave. I am not her personal butler and she shouldn't have treated me as such_."

"Why didn't you call Watari and have him take care of her for you?" asks Light and he can tell by the sudden growl on the other end that L has been bested.

" _I thought we agreed that having him be our servant was counterproductive to our living situation?_ " counters L though they both know it is a weak argument.

"Yes, but I don't think he would have objected to caring for Misa during this time," retorts Light as he starts chopping the cucumber. "He probably would've been more than happy to, since he seems content on having you stay with him."

" _How did you know I was with Watari?_ " demands L.

Light laughs. "It wasn't very hard to figure out, I mean, other than my parents' where else would you go? And I knew you weren't with them because Sayu would've called to let me know."

" _Fine, I'm with Watari_ ," sighs L. " _And I plan on remaining here until Misa learns to control herself and treats me better._ "

"You're just a big toddler, aren't you?" asks Light with a frown.

" _And you're the one who married me,_ " remarks L before hanging up.

Light looks at the cellphone in his hand and barely represses the urge to throw it across the room, after all, that would just make him look like a child and he cannot lower himself to L's level. _'Alright, if L wants to play, I'll play,'_ he thinks as he continues making Misa's dinner, a wicked grin forming on his lips.

* * *

Days later, L arrives home after his extended and impromptu stay with Watari, wherein he finished several of his cases as well as set up some new training programs for his heirs back at Wammy's House. He and Light barely spoke during that time, mostly exchanging text messages throughout the day and even those were few and far between. He is hoping that now that things have settled, Light will finally see the situation his way.

"Hi, L!" shouts Misa from the couch in the family room, bowl of ice cream in hand. "I'm so glad that you're back!"

L is stunned to see Misa out of her room; the doctor had specifically said bed rest not couch rest. "Hello to you as well, Misa. Is Light around or is he still at work?"

Misa shakes her head as she takes a bite of her chocolate ice cream. "He hasn't been at work all week, he's been here taking care of me."

"Is that so?" asks L as he puts his thumb against his lips. "Well, where is he currently?"

"Cleaning the baby's room," replies Misa as she changes the channel on the television to something borderline child appropriate. "I can see why you married him, by the way."

"What are you talking about?" asks L, an eyebrow rose in curiosity.

Misa shrugs as she adds more sprinkles to her sundae. "He's taken really good care of me, making me meals and getting me whatever I've been craving. He even sat with me and watched one of my TV shows, though I knew he hated every second of it; he was so sweet to seem interested though."

"What else did he do?" asks L, now more than curious as to why Light was behaving in such a way towards Misa.

"He gave me a pedicure," replies Misa, showing her bare feet for emphasis, the ten nails were painted a bright pink with a gold glitter topcoat. "All I said was it's so hard to give myself one now that I'm so big and he brought out all sorts of lotions and polish, he carried me to your bathroom and let me use the jet tub like one of those they have at a salon! Light's also been carrying me around a lot too, that way I don't have to stay locked in my bedroom all day. If I had known he could be this sweet, I would've gotten pregnant with his child years ago!"

L shifts uncomfortably on his feet at her last statement then shuffles awkwardly to the stairs, wondering if Light was doing this purely for that reason alone.

* * *

"There you are!" says Light in greeting when L enters the nursery. "I was wondering when you'd come home."

L manages a small smile as Light steps down from the stepladder he had been standing on in an effort to clean the dust from the ceiling fan, he then comes over and passionately kisses L as if he has been gone for weeks in some remote location. When they pull away, L is still not smiling like he usually does after being kissed by Light.

"What's wrong?" asks Light, cupping L's cheek.

"Misa says you've been pampering her lately," replies L, taking a short step away from Light. "Giving her pedicures, carrying her around the house, and making her whatever she wants. You even sat through one of her trashy television shows."

Light laughs at the memory. "Oh yeah, that was worse than being burned alive."

"Then why did you do it?" presses L, wanting to get to the bottom of this mystery.

"I don't know," says Light with a shrug. "She asked and I could tell it would mean a lot to her if I did, so I sat with her for a few episodes. It's no big deal."

"Apparently it was to her," says L and he frowns as he stares out the window. "She said that she would've gotten pregnant by you years ago if she had known you would treat her this well." He then looks back at Light. "Are you doing this because she's pregnant with your child?"

Light is shocked for a moment, never having expected this kind of hostility from L over a few days of taking care of someone else. "Of course not! I'm taking care of her because she's sick!"

L snorts. "So you're saying that if Misa were ill you would still be exhibiting this much care towards her even if she was not pregnant? Or are you actually saying that because she is sick while pregnant with your child, you are more willing to go to extreme lengths to care for her?"

"I guess the latter," replies Light, still unsure of where this conversation is heading. "But what does it matter why I'm being nice to her? The fact is you left her when she needed someone. And so what if she's pregnant with our child? I stepped in and took care of her, you can't fault me for that."

"I'm not," replies L forlornly. "I'm faulting you for the fact that you're showing obvious preference for her over me."

Light feels like someone just pulled the rug out from under his feet. "What the hell are you talking about? I married you, didn't I? And if I remember correctly, you're the one who suggested using Misa as our surrogate, or am I mistaken?"

L shakes his head. "You are not mistaken, you're simply biased."

"I don't follow," says Light, crossing his arms. "How could I possibly be biased towards Misa when I'm in love with you?"

"You stayed here with her instead of coming after me," replies L with a sad shrug. "You took off work to be able to stay home with her and take care of her when you knew you could have just called Watari."

Light snorts. "I thought about it, but then I figured that Watari would be too busy taking care of you to come and help out with Misa."

L ignores this obvious jab. "That being said, you still didn't come after me when normally you do at least once after we've had a disagreement. This time, you didn't even make the effort."

"I wasn't really in the mood to deal with you," snaps Light. "After all, you had just deserted the woman carrying _our_ child and . . . and you're jealous!"

L blushes but is quick to dismiss his claim. "I am not! I am just stating the facts."

Light tries not to laugh at his embarrassment. "Oh no, you're jealous, I can tell. And if I'm right you're jealous of all the attention I've been giving Misa lately rather than showering you with it, how far off am I?"

"I see no need to dignify that with a response," says L lightly and he starts out of the room, his shoulders stooped as he walks, both a clear sign to Light that he had struck the nail on the head.

Light stands in the middle of the nursery after L leaves and mulls over this new information. _'So L's jealous of the attention I'm giving Misa, he probably thinks that as my spouse, he would be entitled to the same treatment if he were carrying our child. And that's true, I would move heaven and earth for him if he asked, but I'd do that anyway. Hmm perhaps jealous was the wrong word, insecure might be more accurate; he sees Misa as a possible threat since she's the one pregnant and he isn't. I'll have to remedy this soon.'_

* * *

The next morning L smells freshly made French toast, strawberry syrup, and whipped cream right beside him and as he tentatively opens his eyes he sees that he is not dreaming as the aforementioned items are sitting on a tray beside his bed along with a fresh newspaper. He sits up in his and Light's king-sized bed, looking around for any signs of his husband but finds none, except for the breakfast and a note with a small bell on top. Reaching for the note he also picks up a piece of the toast and takes a huge bite out of it, the food melting on his tongue.

 _L,_

 _I'm sorry about our fight last night, and about not coming after you when you left. How about I make it up to you? I think you're entitled to a little pampering today. It starts with your favorite breakfast and followed by whatever else you want. Ring the bell when you're done with breakfast and I'll take the dishes away._

 _Love,_

 _Light_

' _Entitled to some pampering?'_ ponders L as he puts the note down and reaches for the breakfast tray. _'I like the way he apologizes.'_

L leisurely ate his breakfast, adding more syrup from the jar Light had left with the food and reading the news, perusing articles of interest as well as using a fine tip red pen to add his own comments or correct an editorial mistake. He finds this incredibly relaxing, never having had such a peaceful morning in ages, and he plans on enjoying it to its fullest though he does find it rather lonesome without Light there to argue with about certain articles or to assist him in correcting the mistakes he finds. Eventually he finishes his breakfast, looking over at the clock beside his bed he is surprised to see it almost ten o'clock, usually by this hour he is already in his office or on his laptop going over new information.

' _I'm behind schedule!'_ he realizes then remembering Light's instructions, he rings the small bell for a minute then waits, hearing moments later the familiar sound of Light's footsteps on the wood floor. His husband opens the door, greeting him with a breathtaking smile before effortlessly gliding over to the bed and giving him a gentle kiss.

"Good morning, my wonderful husband," says Light lovingly before stepping away to take away the tray of dishes. "I trust you enjoyed your breakfast?"

"Oh yes, it was quite delicious," replies L, his face glowing as he speaks. "Did Misa enjoy hers?"

Light shrugs. "I wouldn't know, she isn't here."

L looks at Light in surprise. "Really? Then where is she?"

"At the spa," says Light. "I booked her a full day visit, complete with massage and some other luxury specials. I called the doctor and he said it was all right as long as she didn't walk too much or get too hot, the spa assured me that they would provide the utmost care for her in her condition. So it's just you and I today, if you're amenable."

"I am," says L as he goes to get out of bed, only to be stopped by Light. "What? Am I not allowed to get up?"

Light shakes his head. "Nope, you're on total bed rest for the day. That means I'll be responsible for getting you whatever you want, from your work to your snacks."

L thinks this over for a moment, realizing that this is Light's way of making up for what had transpired recently. "That's fine, I suppose I can live with that. Now, would you be so kind as to get me my laptop? I am a bit behind in my work."

"Of course," replies Light happily. "Would you like anything else?"

"Not yet, but you could bake me a chocolate cake for a snack," says L, trying not to laugh when he sees the twitch of irritation in Light's jaw. "Unless that's too much trouble for you."

"Not at all," says Light though he is starting to rethink this entire idea. "I'll be right back with your laptop, remember, no getting out of bed."

L nods and watches as Light leaves the room, presumably to the kitchen then heading to their shared office to procure L's laptop, two chores that should not take much time though the forced confinement seems to make the process seem longer. He looks around their room, decorated in their mutual taste of luxury and minimalistic design, which meant that every piece was built with the finest materials available but were not overly flashy in appearance. Their bed for instance was a handcrafted short four poster bed made of a dark oak but did not have intricately ornate designs carved into the wood; just like their goose down comforter was covered in a silk sham but of a soft blue color with very light inlay. L had not spent much time admiring the various pieces that filled their room but now that he is confined to the room, he suddenly develops an interest.

Light returns after what seems like hours and hands L his laptop, plugging the charger into the plug-in in the wall then promptly leaving, saying that he will be back up with a big slice of cake in a couple of hours. L watches him leave and is saddened for a moment, normally Light insists on staying with him when he works, either to do his own work or to assist L in his own. This is very strange behavior.

' _I wonder why he is acting this way,'_ muses L as he accesses his files, searching for his most recent case. _'The pampering is nice but it doesn't feel right to me, regardless the fact I enjoy waking up to breakfast already made for me and in bed no less, this still feels . . . wrong.'_

L continues to wonder about Light's behavior as he works, going through various scenarios as to why he was changing his attitude towards his husband when it finally dawns on him: this is how he treated Misa. While he might have indulged a few of her social whims, he probably left her to her own devices most of the time while he took care of himself and whatever else needed his attention, after making sure that she would not need him immediately. That realization grates on L's nerves; Light is playing a game with him and has been from the start, though he is pained to admit that he does not see a clear means of winning for himself. There has to be a way to win, after all, it is just a silly game.

* * *

Light smiles to himself as he finishes mixing the frosting, pouring it evenly over the stacked layers of cake before smoothing it out to his satisfaction. He has a feeling L has already figured out that this whole thing is a little game, although not one without some reward for either of them: L gets the treatment he wanted and Light gets to give it to him. So often it feels as if L is taking care of Light that sometimes it almost drives him mad, this is his opportunity to take care of L for a change, even if this evolved from less than noble motives.

As he finishes the last few strokes with the metal spatula, there is a sudden and loud noise that sounds as if someone has fallen down the stairs. Abandoning the cake completely, Light runs from the kitchen to the staircase, only partially surprised to see L in a heap at the bottom a sheepish grin on his thin lips.

"Hello Light," says L casually as he carefully straightens out his body.

"L, what are you doing?" asks Light, trying to keep his amusement and frustration in check.

L looks up at him with feigned ignorance. "Isn't it obvious? I was coming to see you. You told me that I couldn't walk, so I resorted to army crawling from the bedroom, and I was doing quite well until I underestimated where the stairs started and took a small fall. I must say they make this look much easier in films."

Light chokes back his laughter, remembering almost too late that he is supposed to be a stern caretaker. "That's no excuse, you shouldn't have been out of bed in the first place. Remember? I gave you strict instructions for total bed rest, which means no walking."

"I don't recall that including army crawling," retorts L as he stares up at Light, his knees tucked up to his chin. "And you did say you would see to every one of my needs, and I happen to need you at this moment."

"Why didn't you just ring the bell I gave you?" asks Light, crossing his arms.

L shrugs. "I thought this would be a more effective way of getting your attention. You could easily ignore a ringing bell, but your husband getting you directly? That's something I know you cannot ignore. Besides, I've come to realize that I much prefer your means of treating me versus the way you've been treating Misa."

Light's expression softens and he kneels down in front of him. "So you finally figured out that it doesn't matter that she's carrying my child, huh? Good, I was starting to wonder if you ever would."

"I am the World's Greatest Detective," quips L. "If it were not for these pesky emotions, I would have figured it out much sooner, but it would seem you bring out the humanity in me, Light."

"I'm glad to hear it," says Light with a small laugh. "And I'll be the first to admit that I was wrong about something, you weren't completely jealous of Misa, you were mostly insecure about your position. You see her as a kind of threat since she is doing something you'll never be able to do and that is giving me a child. I can't tell you not to worry, as that would be insulting to you, but what I can do is show you that no matter what your place in my heart and life is still safe. I could not ever love Misa the way I love you, L Lawliet, and even if she gives me a hundred children that will not ever change."

L smiles at his words, knowing he is being completely sincere. "Perhaps you could begin showing me exactly how I _fill_ a place in _you_ , Light Yagami."

Light's eyes widen in surprise at the implication of the comment, but he quickly recovers and his eyes gain a predatory glint. "It would be my pleasure, L. Just be prepared that it might take a very long time, perhaps even late into the night."

"You're worth the lost sleep," replies L smugly when he sees the way Light is looking at him, a mix of lust and love in his amber eyes. "As I recall, we have a very large bed upstairs that is need of some rearranging, the pillows and sheets are far too pristine for my liking."

"I'll fix that, after all, your wish is my command," says Light as he stands up, holding out his hand for L to take, though he is more than a little surprised when he does not.

"I wish to be carried," says L simply, raising his arms in the air.

Light tries not to roll his eyes as he scoops L up bridal style in his arms, his thin arms wrapping securely around his neck as he starts up the stairs, trying to ignore the way L is kissing his neck or carding his long fingers through his hair. L knows Light will get him back for this little round of teasing, it is in their nature to continually try and get even or be one step ahead of the other; their relationship has always been full of games. This particular game might not have turned out how either of them expected, but they can hardly argue with the prize.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here is the smut I half-promised! Anyway, sorry for the delay, but I hope this makes up for it. I've never written yaoi before, nevertheless I hope you enjoy! Picks up where the last chapter left off.**

* * *

Prize

Light somehow manages to get the door open while still carrying L in his arms, he does not question it when the door opens just glad that it does. L is still teasing him mercilessly, kissing and nibbling on his neck as his fingers dance across his shoulders, occasionally dipping down lower to caress his back. The action sends chills down Light's spine as he walks over to the bed then he gently lowers L back into the soft comforter, reluctantly disentangling himself from L's warm form. He walks as quickly as he can without giving away his eagerness to close the door and when he turns around he sees L already taking off his shirt, the sight of L's milk white skin sends a growl to Light's throat, he barely stops it in time. His eyes latch onto the shirt L is holding between his thumb and index finger, watching as he poises the garment over the side of the bed and releases it with very little effort, allowing it to crumple on the floor.

"Are you simply going to stare at me, Light?" asks L evenly as he goes to undo his sweatpants, something he has taking to sleeping in after Light insisted that jeans were not appropriate nighttime wear. "Do you not wish to participate? Such a shame, but I guess I can always take care of myself . . ."

Those are the magic words and Light is striding across the room, his hands on L's shoulders before he can react, pushing him down as he pins him to the bed. "Don't you even fucking dare threaten that."

L chuckles warmly in his throat as he stares up at Light's amber eyes, seeking out the small flecks of gold that remind him of autumn leaves. "Now why would I do something like that when I have someone like you here with me?"

Light relaxes just as L leans up and captures his lips, the kiss so sweet yet full of so many promises that have yet to be fulfilled, L's soft lips move against his in almost a massaging action and Light cannot help but give into the tender feeling. When he is with L he can be domineering and submissive, gentle and rough without feeling like a hypocrite or a fool and the feeling is addictive to the point that Light physically craves his husband whenever they are apart from each other or just sitting in the same room. It has been this way since their first night together after the Kira case had been closed, when they both discovered how intoxicating they were for each other.

L's lips pull away and Light lets out a soft whine of protest that quickly turns to a gasp as L's fingers stroke him through his pants leaving a trail of fire in their wake; his deft fingers work their way up to Light's belt buckle, making quick work of the offending obstacle and before Light can move it is landing beside the bed joining L's shirt. For a moment Light wonders what the whole point of that was, why not just open the buckle and then his pants? L answers this unsaid thought by unbuttoning Light's khaki pants, pulling the zipper down at an agonizingly slow pace then reaching in, his fingers wrapping themselves in the end of Light's shirt. Suddenly there is a sharp tug and the buttons on Light's shirt pop off, raining down on L and the bed beneath him. Light tries to look irritated with L for ruining his shirt but he can already hear the arguments for why he did it and honestly, it turns him on when L takes the initiative. With a wolfish grin he leans back up so he is towering over L, his shirt hanging limply on his body as he looks down at his husband, taking delight in the way he licks his lips at the sight of Light's skin. He makes no move to pull off the shirt, instead he rolls and shrugs his shoulders and with little effort the shirt falls to the floor.

L's breath catches in his throat, no matter how many times he has seen Light naked or partially clothed, he still finds himself in awe of how perfect he looks. His husband may not be big and bulky but L likes this, he prefers the toned and well-defined build giving the illusion of a hard exterior that is surprisingly soft. He thinks about reaching out to touch but does not move his hand, often he reminds himself that Light is similar to a work of art and he should look not touch, at least not without some sign. When they first began sleeping together, L learned quickly that Light did not like any surprise or unnecessary touching, over the course of their marriage he has gotten better about that but L did not like to push his luck.

"Like what you see?" asks Light, his vanity shining in his tone.

"If I did not, I would look away," remarks L with a cheeky grin and Light lunges forward playfully, grabbing onto the fabric of L's sweatpants. L already planned for this and quickly wiggles out, moving across the bed away from Light, he looks up and catches the look of sheer desire in Light's eyes as they roam over his now fully nude body.

There are no more words as Light quickly sheds his remaining clothes, his eyes still locked onto L's body as he climbs onto the bed moving on all fours towards the raven haired man on the other side. L is quick and scurries up towards the pillows, wanting to at least have some support when Light decides to initiate further proceedings. Light changes course almost as fast as L does and is on top of him in a flash, his chest flush against L's as he caresses the sides of his torso, lips teasing the delicate flesh of the ivory column that is L's neck. Light had been surprised the first time they made love, L always looked fine and soft but when he touched him for the first time he was stunned to find him so hard, almost abrasive in a way that seemed to compliment and contradict L's demeanor.

Heat floods L's body under Light's ministrations, his manhood lying rock hard against Light's stomach who can feel it and takes full advantage of the fact by moving his body so his skin brushes along L's sensitive shaft, making the other man moan. The pleasure that courses through the detective's body clouds his mind to all thoughts except how to reciprocate to his husband all that he is doing and has done. A thought forms in the back of his mind and suddenly he tangles his fingers in Light's hair, pulling him away from his neck much to the surprise of the brunette that is until L's lips are crashing into his in a forceful kiss. L takes the upper hand, dominating the kiss immediately so as to not give Light the chance, he sucks on his lower lip to the point it stings then bites it gently moving the skin softly between his teeth. He knows his husband's preferences well and that pain mixed with pleasure is the way he enjoys being kissed the most, even if he is extremely proficient in giving kisses that rival the sweetness of sugar.

The kiss drags out until Light can no longer stand the ceaseless teasing, he breaks away somewhat breathless at this point and lunges for the bedside table, fumbling around until he comes back up with a bottle of strawberry scented lube. Hovering above L, he opens the tube and coats his fingers liberally; somehow managing to close the container before throwing it somewhere he cares not to see, his focus solely on L. He slips a finger into L's entrance, pumping it slowly in and out, leaning over to whisper sweet nothings in L's ear to help him relax, the other man reaches up and his hands dance across the expanse of Light's back as if mapping out unexplored territory.

When L relaxes a little bit more Light slips a second finger inside, eliciting a slight hiss from L but he is quick to ease his pain, taking it slow as he moves his fingers around then scissoring them to assist in preparing L for what was to come. He picks up the pace when he feels L ease around him, a devilish grin etching across his face as he moves his fingers to the right spot and hits L's prostate making the man beneath him buck his hips in response, a loud moan reaching Light's ears. Kissing L's lips softly he withdraws his fingers, he considers searching around for the lube but when he sees L's flushed body, his lips parted as he breathes heavily and his dark eyes sparkling like two dark stars he decides against it. He rubs what lube is left from his fingers onto his throbbing cock before lining himself up with L's entrance, with another kiss he encases himself in L's tight heat.

The feeling takes Light's breath away, and it is a few moments before he recovers enough sense to move, slowly thrusting in and out of L as he fights the urge to let loose and slam into him; he knows the first few strokes are the most painful so he savors the fact that soon he can do whatever he likes. L moans and begins to writhe beneath Light even though they have barely gotten started, his lean legs wrap around Light's waist, an indication that he is ready for whatever Light has planned. Taking the initiative Light puts his hands on L's waist and slams into him hard, hitting the other man's prostate dead on, L's hips move to buck sharply up but he is able to keep them down as he thrusts in hard again. He hits his target again, sending a visible shudder through the man beneath him, whose only other response is to wrap his legs tighter around Light's waist, driving him in deeper on his next thrust.

L closes his eyes as Light thrusts into him, allowing the sensation of being filled by the man he loves and knows so well wash over his body anew each and every time. During their first time and a few times after, L had kept his eyes opened and focused on Light, not quite trusting him not to do something while he was in such a compromising position. When he finally learned to relax and trust Light, something that took a number of conversations and a great deal of patience on Light's part, he found that he actually enjoyed the mystery of not knowing exactly what was coming next. He always has some idea, after all there are only a few different ways they can do this, but each thrust is different in its own way: the pressure, the depth, the sounds that accompany from him or Light. They never have sex the same way twice, it is always different and always pleasurable, a gift L never thought to receive from Light.

"I love you, L," whispers Light in his ear, the warm breath tickling the sensitive skin. "I love you so much." One hand slides between their joined bodies, wrapping around L's aching erection, stroking it firmly as he continues to thrust.

"I love you too, Light," L manages to choke out as he loses himself to everything that is happening around him, finally he shatters and cries out as he spills himself onto Light's hand and his own stomach. He barely hears Light's vulgar moan as he releases, his heart is pounding wildly in his chest, blood thundering in his ears to the point they have blocked out every sound except his heartbeat. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knows Light has landed beside him and wrapped an arm snugly around his waist, he can feel his head resting on his shoulder and smell the strong aroma of sweat and sex clinging to the air like smoke. His surroundings finally bring him back to the present just as he hears Light mutter, "We have the place for hours."


	10. Chapter 10

Blessing

Something Light did no think he would get used to would be coming home to both Misa and L, finding them in the same room or at least close enough, finding dinner warming on the stove and think that this is how it should be. Yet he is used to it. He has walked in on that scene so many times over the last ten months that he finds it strange when it does not happen or is different slightly. That is why he is scared when he does not see that scene greeting him when he gets home that day.

"Hello?" calls Light as he puts his briefcase down in the kitchen, walking cautiously between a couple of rooms, not seeing any sign that his husband or Misa are still here. Suddenly his phone vibrates, catching him off guard but he is quick to grab it, more than a little surprised to see Matsuda's name on the screen. "Matsuda, what is it?"

"Oh Light, thank god," says Matsuda, obviously relieved. "I tried to reach you sooner but your phone must have been in a dead zone."

"Matsuda, what is it?" repeats Light, not happy to have this distraction while he is trying to locate L and the woman pregnant with their child. "Make it fast."

"Oh right," says Matsuda. "Ryuzaki called about ten minutes after you left, you need to get to the hospital as soon as you can, Misa went into labor."

Before Light can form a sentence he is running back into the kitchen, grabbing his keys and halfway to the door when his mind finally catches up with him. "How long has she been there? When did this happen? Why didn't Ryuzaki try to call me?"

Matsuda is quick to comply with his partner's demands. "They've been there maybe forty-five minutes, it happened almost an hour ago now. Ryuzaki said he tried to call you but your phone was off so he called everyone else instead trying to get a hold of you. I'm with the Chief now speeding down the road towards the hospital. Your mother and Sayu are on their way as well."

Light tries not to panic as he gets back into his car, becoming a little frantic when it does not start right away. "Okay, so everyone is headed to the hospital and I'm the only one with egg on my face, brilliant." He tries to make his heart stop racing at the speed of sound, the only thought in his mind besides cursing his car is the fact Misa is two weeks early.

"You don't have egg on your face, Light," says Matsuda calmly as Light's car starts. "That would be if you missed the whole thing and didn't get to meet your daughter first."

"Matsuda, are you trying to cheer me up?" asks Light as he puts his phone on speaker then drives out of the driveway. "Because if so, you aren't doing a spectacular job at it. Did you call Raku to let her know where you would be?"

Matsuda burst out laughing. "Are you kidding me? She's the one picking up your mom and Sayu. Koji is really excited about meeting his baby cousin."

Light grins at this, when they explained to Koji about the baby that was coming, they said he could consider it his cousin since he thought of Light, L, and Misa as his aunt and uncles. He agreed right away and started calling the baby 'cousin' whenever he saw Misa's belly, he even said he would bring in the baby for show-and-tell once she was born. "Well, at least I won't have to make any phone calls. How far are you from the hospital?"

"About two minutes," replies Matsuda, a smile in his voice. "You dad turned on the sirens and blew through every red light between there and the station."

"Well, it's not everyday my grandchild is born," Light hears his father say and he cannot help but let his heart fill with love for his father. During the early months of his relationship with L, his father had not exactly been thrilled with the fact that his only son had come out as gay, and had been uncomfortable to be around until the day Light and L married. That day he showed up at the courthouse dressed in his best and said that he gave his blessing, something Light had never needed but always wanted regarding his marriage. During the reception at the botanical gardens, he had given a moving speech and welcomed L fully into the family; now he was excited about welcoming his first grandchild into the family beside his son and his son-in-law.

"Tell Dad to calm down," says Light as he stops at a stop light, wishing he were in a police car instead of his personal vehicle. "We don't need him having another stressed induced heart attack."

There is silence on the other end as Matsuda is presumably relaying Light's message to his father.

"Light, I'll be fine," says Soichiro, surprising Light. "I have no plans on missing my granddaughter's entrance into the world. Now, we've just arrived at the hospital, your focus needs to be on getting here as well. If we have any news, Matsuda will call you. I love you, son."

"I love you too, Dad," says Light with the tiniest hitch in his voice. The line goes dead and he hangs up, mentally going through how long it will be until he reaches the hospital. He has an agonizing thirteen minutes to go.

* * *

When Light finally arrives at the hospital, he sprints inside, barely aware of all the eyes watching him as he hurries to the front desk asking for directions to the maternity ward. The woman behind the desk directs him to the elevator, saying it is on the fifth floor and to make sure he gets a pass at the desk there. Light nods then continues on to the elevator, his hands shaking as he presses the button for the fifth floor; the entire ride up he is cursing the slowness of the machine as it seems to be moving down rather than up. The sight of a desk and a friendly looking woman sitting behind it greets him when finally the doors open.

"I'm looking for Misa Amane's room," says Light in a slightly hushed voice. "I'm the father of the baby."

The woman nods and hands him a pass, smiling brightly up at him, she could tell that he was the father without him saying so; his shaking hands and wild look gave it away immediately. "She's in the last room on the far left with her friend. We made sure to have a few security guards present, though with half of the police force in the waiting room it seems a little excessive. Her private physician is here as well, working closely with Dr. Tanaka. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Light nods as he slips the pass over his head, bowing to the woman before heading down the hall towards Misa's room that is until he is ambushed by a small, strong being.

"Light!" squeals Sayu as she hugs her brother. "Oh Light, I can't believe it! I'm going to be an aunt and you're going to be a dad!"

He smiles kindly as he embraces his sister. "I know it's pretty crazy." He looks up and sees that the receptionist was not kidding about half of the police force being here; his father, Matsuda, Aizawa, Mogi, and Ide are all waiting around with amused expressions on their faces. Most of them are accomplished fathers and know what Light is going through, so they all have the courtesy not to tease him right away.

Sachiko materializes beside her daughter, taking the opportunity to embrace her son. "This is such a happy day, Light. My baby's having a baby, what a wonderful moment. I'm sure Misa will be fine and you'll be holding your little girl in no time at all!"

Light wraps an arm around his mother, smiling as she kisses his cheek repeatedly. "Thanks Mom, I appreciate the thought." He then looks up and sees his dad approaching. "Hi Dad, it's good to see you."

Soichiro manages somehow to pat his son on his shoulder, his eyes slightly clouded over with tears as he looks at his eldest child. "It'll be fine, Light, just be there to support her when she needs you. We're all for you and Ryuzaki, this is a momentous occasion and we wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Thanks, Dad," says Light, a genuine smile gracing his lips. "Guess I had best go in there and see how everything's going." With that, Light manages to disentangle himself from his mother and sister, waving to everyone as he heads into the maternity room, bracing himself for whatever is on the other side of the door.

"Light!" shouts Misa when she sees him enter. She is already lying in bed, hooked up to a couple of monitors, her hair pulled back in a very neat braid, her designer hospital gown peeking out from the blanket. "Thank god, I thought you'd never get here."

Before Light can speak, he is more or less tackled in a tight embrace from a familiar dark haired shape. "I'm so happy to see you, I didn't know if you'd make it and I didn't want you to miss this."

"I know, Ryuzaki," says Light as he returns the gesture, kissing his mop of hair. "How many times did you try calling me before you went on calling everyone else?"

L looks up and shrugs. "Nine and a half times, you must have had your phone away from your person for quite some time. Now, Misa's water has broken and she is approximately six and a half centimeters dilated, her contractions are two minutes apart."

"He's been annoying the doctors," sighs Misa with a slight grimace. "They say I'm progressing well, despite the fact I'm about two weeks early, and the baby should be here in a matter of hours. I hope she hurries up and gets out soon, I'm dying to meet her!"

Light and L walk up to Misa's bed, the former putting his hand on her shoulder in a friendly manner. "It's good to see you in such high spirits, Misa. Now tell me, where exactly were you two when your water broke?"

"We were on a walk," replies Misa. "I had been feeling some contractions, nothing serious but still somewhat intense, so Ryuzaki suggested we go for a walk to help with their progression. Watari followed behind us in the car in case I got too tired or something happened, and as we rounded a corner I felt like I wet my pants only I realized it was more fluid than that. I told Ryuzaki and he quickly shoved me into the car, calling you and everyone else as we headed to the hospital."

Light smiles at his husband who is sheepishly biting his thumb. "That was some pretty quick thinking, Ryuzaki. I'm impressed you were able to react so quickly."

L rolls his eyes. "Light, when have you ever known me to be lax in a time of crisis? Misa clearly needed to get to the hospital and I and Watari were the only ones there at the time."

"I know," chuckles Light, kissing his cheek, "I just enjoy teasing you. Speaking of Watari, where is he? I didn't see him in the waiting room."

"Calling the boys at Wammy's House," says L with a shrug as he slinks into a chair beside Misa's bed. "I thought they should know that they are about to be replaced."

Light laughs as he sits beside L in the other chair. "You have impossibly high expectations for this little girl, don't you?"

"Of course I do," says L fondly as he stares at Misa's belly, "she is to be our child after all."

* * *

Misa's labor progresses slowly over the next couple of hours and it is evident that she is losing her strength, luckily when the doctors come in they declare that it is time for Misa to begin pushing. Somehow, someway she manages to sit up in the bed, slipping her feet into the stirrups as the doctors prepare for the arrival of the baby instructing Light and L to leave the room during this time.

"No!" protests Misa, her voice strong despite her tired body. "This is their baby, they need to be here for this. I can't do it without them here."

L and Light share a touching look as they each take a post on either side of Misa, taking one of her hands in theirs; she looks up at them with sparkling eyes, so far they have done this together and it is not about to change. Without further a due the doctors begin instructing Misa on how to push and before long she is bearing down, gripping L and Light's hands to the point they are turning purple at the fingertips. After each push Misa practically collapses, the two men having to support her in between bouts, neither one sure what is going to happen once the baby is born but they are concerned for her wellbeing all the while.

"One more push, Miss Amane," says Dr. Tanaka almost imploringly. "The head is right there, one more push and she's here."

Misa shook her head, barely able to keep herself upright. "I can't . . . I can't do it . . . please . . . help me . . ."

Concern fills Light's face as he looks at the defeated expression on Misa's face, she looks so small and fragile as she leans against him, her face flushed and sweaty as she clings to what little strength she has left. "Misa, you have to do this," says Light sternly, though kindness laces his words as he strokes her hair. "Not for me, not for you, but for the baby. She needs you to do this, Misa and fast. You're the only one who can give her life."

His words reach Misa and she screws her face up in determination, leaning up she bears down one last time and something slides from between her legs, something that gives a cry that brings tears to everyone's eyes. Looking down, Misa sees the small baby squirming in the doctor's arms and can tell despite her unclean appearance, she has brown hair just like her dream. Then that is the last thing she sees before her vision goes black.

Suddenly her monitors start going off, Light looks and sees that her breathing rate is erratic and she is not taking full breaths. _'The pushing must have taken everything out of her,'_ he thinks as he holds her in his arms. _'The preeclampsia probably prevented her from getting adequate air flow.'_

L leaves Misa's side to go look at the baby, just as he draws close, a nurse places her in a plastic bassinet and rushes her out of the room. "Our baby!" cries L as he watches. "Light, they're taking out baby!"

Light looks up just as L runs out of the room, chasing after the doctor that has wheeled the baby away; he thinks about joining him but looking at Misa's broken form keeps him rooted to the spot. One of the nurses attaches an oxygen mask to her face and her breathing somewhat stabilizes while the doctors continue to work on her, their faces grim as they come up with their gloved hands covered in blood.

"What the hell happened to her?" asks Light, panic rising in his tone.

"She's hemorrhaging," replies Dr. Tanaka. "We're working as fast as we can to stop the bleeding, is she still breathing?"

Light checks for a pulse and finds it, though it is really weak. "She's not breathing much. Does this have anything to do with her preeclampsia?"

"It's likely," says Dr. Tanaka, her tone noncommittal as she works. "Right now would be a good time to pray."

' _Damn it all to hell,'_ thinks Light with a slight groan. _'I hope L is having better luck than I am with the baby.'_

* * *

L finally chases down the nurse that took the baby from the room, slipping into the NICU behind her, he watches silently from a corner as the baby is picked up by one of the staff. The staff member, probably a technician, takes the baby over to a washing area where she wipes away the blood and cleans her hair; even from this distance L can see that their daughter inherited Light's hair color exactly. The technician then puts a diaper on the hardly moving infant; all the while crooning to her in a voice so annoying L can understand why the baby does not want to acknowledge her presence. She is then hooked up to a couple of monitors then the technician leaves, presumably to check on the other babies in the ward, and L approaches the baby's side, finger pressed against his lips as he looks down at the small baby.

"Who are you?" asks the technician, having returned and L is not surprised that it took them this long to discover his presence.

"The baby's father," replies L, his eyes still focused on the baby girl. "Well, technically her second father, my husband is her biological father."

The technician looks at him critically then relents. "Fine, you can stay, just don't touch anything."

L nods his understanding and the technician moves on once again.

"Why won't you open your eyes?" he wonders aloud as he continues to observe the girl, noticing that she is hardly moving, which is hardly normal for a newborn. From what he read in the number of parenting books Light insisted on, babies are supposed to be a little active when they are first born but this baby is lying completely still hardly even twitching. He thinks for a moment, remembering something important.

Without a second thought, he opens the incubator and pulls the baby out, holding her gently in his arms as he maneuvers his shirt so he covers her with it, moving his arms so he is cradling her against his bare chest. The skin-to-skin contact does the trick and the little girl opens her eyes, blinking up at him with her big, brown eyes.

* * *

Light glares at the closed door in front of him, very angry at having been kicked out of the room by Misa's doctors so they could finish their work on her without him questioning everything. It was not his fault that he thought them incompetent for not monitoring her preeclampsia closer, he simply had to make it known that there is a possibility they will be hearing from their attorneys when this is over.

"Light," says Soichiro as he approaches his son, "what's going on? We saw Ryuzaki running after a nurse and you haven't been out since then."

Light is not sure how to tell his father that it is very possible both Misa and the baby's lives were in danger, especially not after all they had been through getting to this point. "Misa's preeclampsia caused her to pass out and hemorrhage, the baby wasn't making much noise at all when she was born so she was rushed to the NICU."

Soichiro is absolutely heartbroken for his son, he knows how much this means to Light and L and to see it go so badly so quickly heart wrenching to say the least. "It'll work out, son." He puts a hand on Light's shoulder and is relieved when he does not shrug it away. "The doctor's are doing everything they can for both Misa and the baby, you need to keep that in mind right now. I know it's difficult, I was in your shoes the day you were born."

"What?" asks Light, genuinely surprised.

"Your mother did not recover quickly after she had you," explains Soichiro. "I was concerned that she might not, honestly. Then you were whisked off to the NICU as well since you were born early, I didn't get to hold you for at least an hour, and I was stuck in limbo as I waited. Finally your mother recovered around the same time they brought you back and that's when I knew everything was going to be all right."

Light gives his father a weak smile, the story is something he had not heard before and he appreciates knowing that he is not alone in this pain but that is not enough to quell the ache deep in his chest. Suddenly he hears what sound like footsteps and looking in that direction he sees L approaching with his shirt rolled up around his chest that seemed to have grown a lump in the last half hour, his arms are wrapped around the lump as if cradling it. He has a suspicion as to what it is.

"Ryuzaki, what have you done?" asks Light when he sees his husband. "Please don't tell me you stole something from the NICU."

"I would do no such thing," says L indignantly as he moves his arms to cradle the lump better. "Besides, it's hardly considered stealing if it belongs to you already."

Soichiro and Light huddle around L, both trying to look down his shirt, when they do they see a pair of brown eyes staring up at them with curiosity. A small wrinkled hand escapes the confines of L's shirt, waving around until Light presses his finger against the tiny palm when the fingers wrap tightly around his fingertip, the strength of the baby's grip taking his breath away. He looks up at L with tears in his eyes, seeing that his husband also had tears glistening in his eyes, for a split second everything wrong with the world suddenly vanishes as they stare in wonderment at the beautiful creature they brought into this world.

"She's beautiful," says Soichiro, smiling down at his granddaughter. "Does she have a name?"

L looks at Light who is smiling widely.

"She does indeed," answers Light as he strokes his daughter's hand. "Her name is Noriko, child of the law."

"A very appropriate name," says Soichiro warmly. "Hello Noriko, I'm your grandfather."

Noriko's other hand comes out of L's shirt and waves around at Soichiro as if she can understand exactly what he is saying. Soichiro lets her hand wrap around his finger, the grip no less than the one she has on Light's finger, making him smile as he leans down to kiss the tiny fingers wrapped around his.

"Excuse me," says a voice behind them. Looking up they saw Dr. Tanaka standing in the doorway, her smock covered in blood. "I'm sorry to interrupt but Misa's asking for you two." She then caught sight of the two small arms outside of L's shirt. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that taking a baby from the NICU is against hospital policy." She then saw Light and Soichiro glaring at her. "But in this case, I can make an exception. I'll send a doctor in at a later time to check over the baby and we'll get the birth certificate done soon as well."

"Thank you," says Soichiro sternly. "Now, I believe my son and son-in-law have earned their rest and need to speak with the wonderful woman whom made this possible." Reluctantly he untangles his finger from Noriko's grip and allows Light to lead both L and Noriko back into Misa's room.

"Light! Ryuzaki!" cries Misa when they enter. "I'm so glad to see you guys, I didn't think those doctors were ever going to leave." She looks a little better than when Light had left her previously; she has a little color in her cheeks and is sitting upright on a pile of pillows. "Did you see the baby? I didn't hear anything other than that one cry."

Light smiles as he and L disentangle Noriko from L's shirt, the baby starts crying the moment she is pulled away, the cries sounding healthy and strong as he hands her to Misa. Misa is crying too as she accepts Noriko from Light, cradling the baby against her chest before pulling away her hospital gown then settling Noriko against her breast, the baby quickly realizing what is going on and latches onto Misa's nipple sucking hungrily. The three parents give a watery laugh as they watch her eat, all relieved to have made it this far.

"Did you tell L what we decided to name the baby?" asks Misa as she strokes Noriko's cheek.

"I did," says Light as he puts an arm around Misa as he sits down next to her on the bed. "Dad likes the name too."

L smiles fondly as he too slides in beside Misa, his finger stroking the downy hair on Noriko's head. "I find it a perfect name for her, though when did you two come up with it?"

"When you were off with Watari that one week," replies Light. "Misa and I thought 'Lyuba' wasn't quite right for our daughter so we came up with this when Misa suggested naming her after something we have in common. That happens to be seeking justice, so that led to Noriko."

"I think Noriko Yagami is a perfect name," says Misa as she looks at the men. "Unless it's going to be Noriko Amane."

Both Light and L shake their heads in unison.

"No, she'll be Noriko Yagami," says Light as he reaches over and puts his fingertip beneath her hand so she will hold it again. "My little girl."

" _Our_ little girl," corrects L, smiling at Misa. "How are you feeling Misa? Any lingering effects from your rather dramatic birthing experience?"

Misa shakes her head. "The doctors gave me some incredible painkillers so I can't feel anything, besides I'm really just tired. The doctors want me to stay a couple of days for observation, and Noriko too."

"Then we'll be here," says L firmly. "We're a family now and we have to be there when family members need our support."

Light thinks about what L just said, he can see that he is right, the two of them plus Misa and now Noriko are a family; a strange family but a family nonetheless. Not to mention all of the people waiting just beyond the door, Noriko would grow up with all of them as her extended family and Light already considers them as such to him and L. He knows that from this point forward, life will be completely different but he will not trade his new family for anything.


	11. Chapter 11

Night

The sound of crying wakes Light from what could have been a deep sleep if he had not been anticipating the sound of his daughter beckoning to him for his attention. Slowly he gets out of bed, rubbing his eyes as he stands up and heads over to Noriko's bassinet, her temporary bed until she is old enough to sleep in her room by herself. Looking down he smiles warily as he picks up the crying infant, holding her against his chest as he hushes her, kissing her forehead as he creeps out of the room quietly so as not to disturb L who is sleeping for once instead of working. Padding down to the kitchen he opens the fridge, pulling out a glass baby bottle of breast milk then putting it in on the warmer they had bought specifically for this reason. Turning it on he leans against the counter, rocking Noriko in his arms in an attempt to keep her calm until her food is ready, in the dim light of the moon his daughter looks up at him with sparkling brown eyes.

"Who knew Misa would be completely right?" wonders Light as he tickles her back that is swaddled in the pink cloth of her footie pajamas. "You look so cute in that, even with the stupid frills."

Noriko waves her arms in response, smiling up at him as she coos. Light can feel his heart melting as she shows recognition at the sound of his voice, something that a few weeks ago he was unsure of whether she knew or not; all the time he spent at work he was not sure that she would even know him, but she proved him wrong. Of everyone in the house she seems to prefer him to her mother or L, something that secretly pleases him.

"Time for your midnight snack," he says as he turns off the warmer, taking the bottle from the surface before heading back upstairs to the master bedroom. "Hope you don't mind the delay, but Daddy wants to be comfortable when he feeds you."

"Ah, ah," says Noriko while reaching for the bottle in Light's other hand. "Ah!"

Light chuckles as he moves the bottle out of her reach, kissing her cheek as he enters the bedroom, surprised to see L sitting up in bed. "What are you doing up?"

"I woke up when I realized you weren't here," replies L as Light sits down beside him, nestling Noriko in his arms as he puts the nipple of the bottle in her mouth. "She's a hungry little thing isn't she?"

"She's not a thing," says Light, stifling a yawn as he watches Noriko eat. "She's our wonderful, beautiful daughter who happens to have a large appetite."

"That she does," concedes L as he rubs her covered foot, smiling when she stops eating long enough to scowl at him. "Oh my, she is certainly your daughter, you don't enjoy my foot massages either."

Light says nothing in response, instead leaning against the headboard as Noriko continues to eat, his fingers tracing over her belly as he tries not to fall asleep but that is difficult with two warm people pressed up against him. "L, I love you," he says.

"I love you too," replies L, noticing his husband's attempts at not looking or sounding tired. "You know, Misa or I can do this, you don't have to."

"I know," says Light as Noriko finishes her bottle, he hands it to L then proceeds to prop Noriko up, hitting her back as the pediatrician instructed in order to burp her. "But I don't get to see her every waking hour like you and Misa, so this is really the only time I get to spend with her."

"You can always cut back on your hours," says L cautiously when he hears the sad tone in Light's voice. He and Light had had this conversation many times even before Noriko was born but lately it seemed that they always were having this talk, though it never seems to get resolved. "I'm sure your father would understand you wanting to spend more time with your family and if you worked with me, you'd still be doing the same work."

Light nods as he wipes up the drool from Noriko's chin with a rag they kept on the bedside table, something they had to learn quickly to keep around the house otherwise they would be covered in various fluids of questionable origin. She looks up at him clapping her hands happily, then reaching for the rag only to have Light pull it out of her reach, a lazy smile on his lips as he cuddles her against his chest.

"I never thought the day would come when I'd see you cuddle a baby," comments L as he watches his husband and daughter. "I honestly wasn't sure how you'd take to parenthood."

"Neither was I," admits Light as Noriko explores his bare chest with her tiny hands. "For years I thought being a parent wouldn't be as rewarding as contributing to society as a detective, but now I've rethought that whole argument."

L smirks as he steals Noriko away from Light, only to cause the baby to whine and protest, reaching across for Light. "I think she prefers you to me, Light."

"I think you're right," says Light triumphantly as he takes Noriko back, the baby girl smiling. "Who does she like when I'm not around?"

"Me mostly," replies L as he holds Noriko's hand with his index finger and thumb. "She only likes Misa when she's hungry, otherwise she is attached to me at all times."

"By force or by choice?" asks Light with a slight smirk.

"By choice, naturally," says L as he notices Noriko's eyes getting heavier, she is blinking a few times only for her eyes to not open completely. "I think the little star is getting tired, my love."

Light looks down and sees Noriko practically asleep on his lap, gingerly he adjusts her so she is laying down in his arms then stands up carefully so as not to wake her, padding over to her bassinet. Kissing her cheek he places her gently in her bed, caressing her hair for a couple of seconds as he watches her sleep, wondering for a brief moment what he did to deserve such a sweet and wonderful daughter. When he is sure she will stay asleep, he makes his way back to bed where L wraps his arms around him, pulling him beside him with a tempting kiss on his neck.

"You're such a great dad," whispers L as Light turns around in his arms. "And a fantastic husband. Nori and I are very lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one," sighs Light as he becomes enveloped by sleep and L's warmth. "None of this would have been possible without you."

L smiles as he kisses his forehead and as they drift off to sleep he whispers, "The boys are coming to visit in a couple of days."

Light's eyes shoot open.


	12. Chapter 12

Visit

Mello, Matt, and Near are set to arrive in a matter of minutes and Light desperately wishes that they were leaving just as quickly. The last time they visited, it had been a disaster from the very start causing both him and L to argue to the point he went to his parents' house to cool down. Sure it had worked out in the end but getting to that point had been hell and now they were going to have to do it all over again.

"Light, quit moping," says L as he types on his laptop, "the boys know they need to behave if they want to stay here. And they are all very eager to meet Noriko."

Light holds his daughter just a little bit tighter as she plays with her stuffed bear in his lap. "And whose idea was it to invite them in the first place? It sure as hell wasn't mine."

L makes a sound in the back of his throat. "This was going to happen sooner or later, I thought it would be best to have them arrive now, rather than wait for another time."

Noriko babbles as she shakes her bear, smiling up at Light whose heart melts instantly though not towards the idea of L's successors being anywhere near his only child. He holds her close and kisses the top of her head, straightening her outfit as he wonders how he allowed L to pull this off without him knowing. Then a thought occurs to him.

"What about the policeman's ball?" asks Light. "It's this week and from what you said, the boys are staying for two weeks."

"Don't worry, I have not forgotten," says L as he puts away his laptop. "I was thinking that the boys could watch Noriko while we go out, it has been a while since we've been anywhere as a couple. I know Nori is important but so is our relationship and we need to reestablish our connection."

Light hates that he cannot counter any of L's arguments and it is driving him crazy. "Where did you send Misa?"

"She's in Paris while the boys are here," says L reaching for Noriko who looks up at him curiously. "And don't worry, she knew about this well in advance and we have an ample amount of breast milk for Nori."

"How long has she known about this visit?" asks Light suspiciously.

"Two weeks," replies L casually. "This was not planned on a whim, Light, it was planned out well in advance."

"Then why was I the last to know?" asks Light sternly.

"Because then we wouldn't get to see you, Yagami," says Mello as he enters the family room, looking around for a moment before plopping into the nearest armchair, his chocolate bar in hand. "Hurry up, Matt!"

The red-haired hacker comes into the room, his head down as he plays with his handheld gaming devices, somehow he manages to cross the room and sit in Mello's lap, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "Hi Light, L, baby."

"Her name is Noriko," says Near as he enters, his slight frame and white clothes giving him the appearance of a small ghost. "Hello L, Light Yagami. How are you today?"

"We are well," replies L before Light can speak. "Thank you for asking, Near. How was your flight?"

"Uneventful," says Near as he creeps across the hardwood floor, his grey eyes focused on the baby sitting between L and Light. "She bears a striking resemblance to Light Yagami, does this concern you L?"

L shakes his head. "Not at all, it is better she looks like Light rather than Misa. At least this way she looks as if she could be ours rather than hers."

Near nods slowly, considering his words carefully. "I see. May I hold her?"

"Of course," says L and before Light can do or say anything he hands Noriko over to Near who holds her carefully in his arms. "Do be careful, she does like to move around."

"She's pretty," says Near quietly as he allows Noriko to explore his face with her small hands. "Do you have any predictions on her level of intelligence?"

L shrugs as Light watches the two interact like a panther waiting to strike.

"We believe she is definitely on the higher end of the spectrum," says Light tersely. "Given her ability to speak at three months and her predilection for exhibiting certain traits, we are sure she is at least as intelligent as I am."

"Better you than Amane," sneers Mello, his distaste for the model very clear. "Where is she, anyway?"

"Paris," replies L and Light in unison.

Matt chuckles. "Sent her away, did you L? Didn't want us to bother her this time?"

L frowns, knowing which event he is referring to; when Light was away for a business trip, the boys had come for a visit while Misa was still pregnant, during that time they had done everything in their power to annoy her almost to the point of insanity. It was only through bribery that L managed to save both Misa and the boys from each other. "I did not think she needed to be subjected to you three so soon after your last encounter. Maybe by Noriko's high school graduation you might be able to stand being in the same city."

The boys feign humility but Light can see the mischief in their eyes, they enjoyed tormenting Misa and as much as it pained him to admit, he would make sure they could never do that to her again. Matt stands up and comes over to Near, holding out his arms. "Let me hold her," he says, indicating to Noriko.

Near does not comply right away, instead he holds her tighter and takes a step back. "Put out that death stick and I might consider letting you hold her."

"It's not up to you," argues Matt as he again reaches for Noriko. "It's up to L and Light who gets to hold their baby." He looks earnestly at his mentor. "Can I hold her?"

"Put out your cigarette," says L calmly, putting a hand on Light's knee. "And while we're on the subject, while you are visiting us here and around Nori, you will not smoke in the house. You may smoke outside as long as you're responsible, and while you are staying with Watari you may smoke to your heart's content."

Light looks at him curiously. "You mean they aren't staying with us?"

"Not this time," says L with a shrug. "I thought after the last time, it would be best for us to be in different houses during this visit. Watari will pick up and bring the boys over whenever they are ready, but they will likely share a majority of their meals with us and spend the most time here."

"I guess I can live with that," says Light, somehow keeping the glee out of his voice as he watches Matt put his cigarette out on the bottom of his boot before taking Noriko from Near's arms. "Did L tell you that the three of you will be responsible for watching Nori in a couple of days when he and I are out for an evening?"

This gets the boys' attention and they stare at L as if waiting for him to start laughing and tell them that they have just fallen for a bad joke. When they do not get the reaction they want, they all then look at Noriko who is reaching for Matt's goggles. None of the lessons at Wammy's have prepared them for this challenge.

* * *

A couple of days later Light hums to himself as he finishes straightening his tie, he takes a step back to admire his reflection in the mirror and nods when he determines he looks acceptable. He reaches for his bottle of cologne, dabbing on enough to smell good but not to offend anyone's nose, especially his husband's who has made it known many times that he finds him repulsive when he overdoes it on the "offensive odor." With a few final adjustments he decides he cannot do any better so he turns away from the mirror just as L emerges from the bathroom.

L too is wearing a black tuxedo though he does not look as natural in his as Light does, made all the more evident by the fact he has yet to put on his shoes and socks. Light shakes his head as he smiles fondly, some things never change no matter how much everything else does.

"Do you need some help?" he asks as L looks at the shoes on the bed as if they are foreign objects that he must study intently.

"I must love you if I am willing to put myself through this torture," says L slightly nauseated as he begins untying the thin black laces.

Light comes over and takes control of the task, untying the shoes faster than L ever would and silently directs his husband to sit on the bed, when he does Light proceeds to put his socks on his feet. _'I should be doing this for Nori, not L,'_ he thinks wryly as he finishes the first sock then moves onto the next one.

"Are you sure about leaving Noriko with the boys?" asks L as he watches Light finish with his socks. "It's not too late to call Watari and have him babysit."

"I'm sure they'll do fine," says Light as he begins fitting L's shoes. "Besides, if you call Watari now it would undermine your whole trust exercise."

L smiles slightly. "Figured that out, did you?"

"From the moment you mentioned it," replies Light as he ties the laces on one of the shoes. "You're doing this to show me that the boys are capable, responsible young men who I should try to get along with better. If they can take care of our daughter then they have shown that I can trust them with more."

"Like my legacy," says L, tempted to muss Light's perfect hair as it shone like amber fire in the light. "Now, are you finished with my confinement shackles?"

Light chuckles as he pats the shiny black shoe. "Yes, I'm done with your shoes. Are they too tight on you?"

L shakes his head. "No, they are acceptable. Thank you very much, Light."

They look at each other, a strange sense of déjà vu coming over them as they sit like that for a few moments longer before realization washes over them like a cold wave. They had been in this position before only the roles were reversed and they were dripping wet from standing out in the rain; that had been the day they had said goodbye, when they thought they would never see each other again. Of course that had not happened but back then it had seemed so final when they stood on the rooftop and gave each other what they thought would be their one and only kiss.

"I love you," says L, leaning forward to cup Light's cheek.

Light leans into his touch, kissing his palm before placing his own hand on L's. "I love you too. Now let's go put the fear of God into those boys of yours."

L cannot resist grinning at the phrase. "You are certainly the one to do it, Light."

"Shut up, Ryuzaki," sighs Light as they stand up and head out of the room.

When they arrive downstairs, they find the boys standing close to the door, Matt holding Noriko in his arms. She starts babbling like crazy and reaching for her fathers the moment she sees them, causing Matt's grip on her to increase as she starts lunging out of his arms at them. Light and L smile at their daughter, both disappointed that they cannot hold her until after they change out of their tuxedoes, inwardly they both vow to hold her the moment they change.

"You two look great," says Matt, shifting Noriko to his other side. "Dressed to kill for sure."

"Phrasing, Matt," snickers Mello before taking a bite of chocolate.

Light glares at the blonde but with a slight nudge from L he backs off, knowing the boy was only trying to get a rise. When they started dating, L made it very clear to Light that he had already told his heirs everything especially the fact that Light had been the original Kira and Misa had been the second Kira. Light had been concerned back then that that meant L had plans on keeping him monitored despite the fact they were a couple but eventually he got it out of L that he had told them because he trusted them and knew they needed to know for when they took over L's role. L already had the true facts in his dossiers so they would find out eventually and he thought it would be better for them to know now rather than later. Light disagreed of course but there was nothing he could do about it now.

"Are you uncomfortable, L?" asks Near, noticing his slightly pained expression.

"I am though I detest these confinement shackles," replies L, shuffling his feet slightly. "However, that is irrelevant." He then looks critically at the three young men. "Do you three completely understand your duties for tonight?"

They nod and L raises an eyebrow skeptically.

"Then recite your responsibilities for this evening," he says, making sure to make eye contact with each of them.

Near is first. "Feed Noriko by six, there are bottles in the fridge, we are to use the warmer to heat them up and not the microwave otherwise the milk gets too hot and could scald her mouth."

"Make sure she gets a bath," says Matt, deftly avoiding Noriko's hands. "The water can't be any hotter than slightly above lukewarm, according to Misa, and the pink bottle is the body wash and the yellow one is the shampoo. You've laid out a pair of pajamas in her room and you want us to use the lotion after the bath to keep her skin soft."

"Have her in bed by eight at the latest," chimes in Mello. "She likes being read to and cannot sleep without her teddy bear and butterfly blanket, so make sure to have them in bed when she gets there."

L nods approvingly. "Also, do remember to keep an eye on her if you put her down. She's learning to move and we would rather she did not injure herself in the process."

"And if she gets fussy just hold her," interjects Light. "She usually calms down when she's held. Also, we left a couple of important numbers on the fridge incase of an emergency, my mother's number, my sister's number and Watari's. You can also reach us if necessary."

The boys nod and the two men look at each other a little apprehensively, they have to leave but they are terrified of leaving their daughter for the first time. They go over and kiss Noriko's cheeks and head, and then before they can change their minds they rush out the door leaving the Wammy Boys on their own with the baby.

"Matt, I don't want kids," says Mello as they head towards the family room. "If having one makes a superior genius like L act like a mushy idiot then I'm out."

"Well then you have nothing to fear, Mello," says Near as he stealthily takes Noriko from Matt just before Mello raises a fist against him. "Now, now, Mello no violence in front of the baby. Perhaps we should play a game with her."

Mello rolls his eyes. "What kind of games, Near? She's not even big enough to sit up by herself."

Noriko glares at Mello, the look startling the usually unshakable blonde and he recovers as quickly as he can before marching over to where Near is standing, inspecting Noriko's facial expression.

"What the hell, kid?" he asks Noriko, not caring how it looks that he is speaking directly to a baby. "Where'd you learn to give looks like that at such a young age? And how can you even understand me?"

"L and Light did say they thought she was on their end of the spectrum," says Matt as he flops down on the couch, his handheld already on. "Guess this just proves it."

"And her reaction is probably a learned behavior from her father," continues Near as he nuzzles Noriko's hair. "I have seen him give such looks before."

None of those answers satisfy Mello. "Even so, a four month old should not be giving looks like that or understand me that well." He pokes her gently in the forehead. "I've got my eye on you, kid."

Near pulls her away from him, giving him an irritated look. "Leave her alone, Mello, she's just a baby." He then goes over to a cabinet and pulls out a board game. "We can play this to kill some time."

Matt looks up from his handheld. "Monopoly? Okay, I'm game." He joins Near on the floor, Noriko between his legs. "Come on, Mells, it won't kill you to play with us."

Mello takes a large bite from his chocolate bar and reluctantly sits down on the floor as Matt and Near begin set up, Near handing the instruction booklet to Noriko to play with. "Fine, but the race car is mine."

"That's fine," says Near tossing him the little silver race car. "Matt would you like the top hat?"

"Sure," says Matt, taking the piece. "And here's the Scottie dog for you, Near. I think Noriko wants to play with the battleship."

Near looks down and sees Noriko playing with the tiny piece, he quickly takes the piece away, putting it on the board and before she can start throwing a fit he kisses her head. "Don't worry, you can play," he says. "I'll just move your pieces for you."

Noriko smiles at him and seemingly nods in understanding.

Mello smirks. "This will be easier than taking candy from Yagami."

* * *

"How the fuck is a baby beating us?!" roars Mello about halfway into the game.

Near frowns sharply as he removes his hands from Noriko's ears, knowing that whatever came out of Mello's mouth would not be child appropriate. "She just happens to be very skilled, Mello, you can't blame her natural abilities."

Mello punches Near in the shoulder. "Shut up, snowflake, just because she's helping you get second place doesn't mean you have to deny that it's frigging impossible for an infant to be good at Monopoly."

"And you should watch your language in front of the lady," retorts Near as he strokes Noriko's damp hair. They had taken a break not too long ago to bathe and dress her for bed, after having fed her during the first half of the game, and now she was calmly lying against his inner thigh, her hands pulling the fabric of his pants. "Perhaps it would be better if we put the game away, and watch a film instead? That way Mello is no longer inclined to say such crude things in front of the lady."

Matt nods as be begins putting the game away, having endured enough of Mello's wrath for one evening, though he did find it highly amusing that it was directed at an infant. "Sounds good to me, Nearly There, why don't you and Nori pick out a movie while Mello goes and gets us some snacks."

"Why do you always have to be so goddamn reasonable, Matty?" sighs Mello as he stands up and heads to the kitchen, not missing the look of contempt on Near's face as he passes. "What? Do you honestly expect me to stop swearing just because there's a kid around?"

Near nods firmly. "Yes, I would expect you to exhibit some restraint when in the presence of an impressionable child. We do not need her learning your bad habits, Mello."

Mello rolls his eyes as he pulls out some microwave popcorn and throws it in the microwave. "Please, that kid's been screwed since conception. That's Yagami's kid, no good can come from that, you know that as well as I do. So stop pretending that she has any potential beyond a menace to society."

"Mello, just shut up!" shouts Near, his usual calm shattered. "You have no idea how Noriko will turn out and making the assumption that she will be like her father used to is incredibly unfair! You have to remember that there were environmental influences that caused Light Yagami to become Kira and you cannot say for certain that they will work the same way on Noriko. So just keep your fat mouth shut and leave her alone before I come over there and make you!"

Mello is rendered speechless at Near's outburst and for a moment only the sound of the popcorn popping is heard as the three young heirs stare at each other as if they had never met. Suddenly Mello starts to laugh and that eases the tension in the room. "Wow Near, didn't know you had it in you to get so emotional." Once he gains control over himself he shakes his head a little. "I guess you also have a point, the kid might be Yagami's but that doesn't make her Kira, she'll probably turn out just fine."

"Glad you see things my way," says Near as he moves himself and Noriko from the floor to the couch. "And Noriko desires to watch this animated princess movie with singing furniture, so please hurry with the snacks before she gets too upset."

"Yes, your highness," grumbles Mello as he pulls out the popcorn, dumping it in the nearest bowl before pouring almost an entire container of caramel over it, mixing it so the sticky substance was coating every kernel. He then grabbed some sodas from the fridge and a bottle for Noriko, warming it up quickly on the warmer before heading back to the living room. He sits down between Near and Matt, putting the bowl in his lap as Matt starts up the movie with some weird universal remote he came up with.

Noriko looks up at Mello with a smile and holds out her hand, Mello looks at it with a curious expression before giving in and putting his finger in her hand for her to hold. A contented smile pulls itself across his face and he finds himself suddenly very happy to have lost to a baby.

* * *

Later that evening Light and L come through the front door into a dark hallway, both as quiet as can be in order to not wake up Noriko, when they see a light coming from the living room. Without a word to each other they pad over to the back room and are a little surprised to see the television still on with the home screen of a DVD playing, looking towards the couch they see all three boys plus Noriko soundly asleep. Matt and Mello are tangled up in each other's arms at one end of the couch while Near and Noriko are snuggling on the other end, his arms protectively around her little body to keep her from falling.

"Well now, that's a sight I never thought to see," whispers L as they begin straightening up around them. He picks up a bowl and sees the evidence of caramel, frowning slightly at the loss of his sweet substance. "Little rats are going to owe me a new bottle of caramel when they wake up."

Light chuckles warmly as he cleans up the soda cans and empty baby bottle. "Looks like they had fun though, I guess babysitting Noriko isn't that difficult for them."

"They're my heirs, nothing is too difficult for them," replies L as he puts the bowl in the sink, filling it with water and soap to soak overnight. "And you thought this was going to be a complete disaster, I'm sure you expected firemen and police officers waiting in our driveway."

"I was," admits Light as he pulls out a large blanket and carefully puts it over the sleeping children. "Anyway, I'm sure we'll have a chance to interrogate them tomorrow when they wake up." He then walks over to L and puts an arm around him, kissing his lips lightly. "Come on, let's go to bed."

"Are you sure you don't want to take Noriko up with us?" asks L, glancing over at the couch where their infant daughter is sleeping.

Surprisingly Light shakes his head. "No, she's safe where she is, and I don't think Near would be too happy either if we took his cuddle partner away. Besides, if something happens we'll hear it right away."

L nods and together they leave the room, heading upstairs to their bedroom.

When they are sure they are gone, the three boys look at each other with slight concern in their eyes.

"Do you think we should tell them about the bathroom?" asks Matt quietly. "I mean, we did get soap everywhere when bathing Nori."

Mello shakes his head. "No, if we get up early enough we can clean it up without L or Yagami noticing."

"Do you think that will work?" asks Near when suddenly loud and angry expletives that made even Mello blush are heard coming from the upstairs.

"Something tells me it won't," says Matt and he quickly gets off the couch, the other boys following suit, Near still holding onto Noriko as they head for the back door.

By the time Light arrives downstairs, there is no one for him to yell at.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Title kind of says it all, and before anyone balks, babies can say words at as young as four-five months. Noriko is a bit more advanced than that and is about three-four months right now. Enjoy!**

* * *

First Words

L watches from his laptop as Mello, Matt, and Near play on the floor with Noriko a critical eye on the three boys especially; ever since the night they babysat and took off into the night with the baby, he had been more vigilant concerning their whereabouts. This was, of course, helped by the fact that Light had threatened to call the police if they ever went anywhere with the baby again but without her parents. L prays that the boys do not waste their second chance, after all it took almost two hours of negotiation with Light just to let them in the house for this visit after they got Noriko back. Turned out the boys had fled to be with Watari and stayed locked in a room all night because they feared Light's wrath.

"Hey L," says Mello, looking up at him, "what's the kid's nickname going to be?"

"What do you mean?" asks L, his attention not really on what Mello is saying.

Mello huffs. "I mean her call sign, you know like the three of us have. Well, four if we count you."

"L is my real name," replies L curtly. "And Noriko doesn't need a call sign right now."

"But she has to start learning how this whole world of yours works," insists Mello. "We learned from the moment we ended up at Wammy's, so it's only right that we start teaching her."

"We could just call her 'Lady'," suggests Near as he dangles a set of plastic keys in Noriko's face, which she grabs for then misses.

Matt shakes his head. "No, it has to at least start with the first letter of her name, just like the rest of us." He thought for a moment. "What about 'North'?"

"Lame," says Mello, taking a bite of his chocolate bar. "We could call her 'Nicotine'."

Near levels a glare in Mello's direction. "We are not calling her that, I'd sooner call her 'Nuclear'."

Mello grins. "That's not a bad idea, Near."

L rolls his eyes. "If you're going to insist on this, then I would suggest 'Navi' as her call sign. It's the name of a star and Light and I consider her our little star so that would be most appropriate."

The three boys look at each other and nod.

"Navi it is!" they declare.

"Do not begin teaching her that name now," orders L. "We're trying to teach her her real name first and if you use another, it will likely just confuse her."

"If she's as smart as Yagami claims she is at three months old, then two name shouldn't confuse her," argues Mello as he drags her by her foot over to where he is. "So, understand this, kid: you are Noriko and Navi. Got it?"

Noriko nods then lunges for the chocolate bar in Mello's hand, he sits up just in time and takes a big bite out of it as Noriko lays sprawled out on the floor, scowling up at him.

"That kid knows way more than she's letting on," chuckles Mello then he looks at L again. "When will she start talking more?"

L shrugs, trying to focus on work since he is now assured of Noriko's safety. "Whenever she wants to I suppose. You can't force her to talk before she's ready, Mello."

"We could always try to teach her," suggests Matt as he picks her up and cuddles her on his lap. "We could teach her that Misa is 'Mama' and Light is 'Dada' and L is . . . L, what do you want Nori to call you?"

L is about to respond when his phone suddenly goes off and when he sees who is calling, he puts down the laptop and heads out of the room. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, I will be back in approximately twelve minutes."

Matt looks at Noriko and smiles. "Do you think in twelve minutes you can say at least one word?"

Noriko babbles something and Matt takes that as an affirmative.

"We should teach her what to call L," says Near, moving closer. "Although first, we have to decide what she should call him."

Mello thinks for a moment. "Why not just call him L?"

"Good idea," says Matt then he moves Noriko so she is eye level with him. "Can you say, 'L'?"

Noriko makes a sound that sounded like 'L' but more like the very end of the letter.

"Damn, she's a fast learner," says Mello, then he takes her from Matt. "Say 'L'."

She again makes the same sound but it is longer, like she is trying her best to get the hang of it yet is not quite there.

"We have eleven minutes," says Near as he pulls a picture down of L from a table behind him and points at L in the photograph. "Noriko, this is L."

* * *

When L returns, he is surprised to see the boys huddled around in one corner, for a second he thinks that something is wrong and is about to say something when they part and show Noriko sitting happily.

"We did it!" cries Mello, sounding victorious. "We taught the kid to talk."

L crosses his arms skeptically. "Prove it."

"With pleasure," replies Mello smugly then he turns to Noriko who is looking at him with big eyes and a dooly smile as he points at L. "Noriko, say 'L'."

"Ehl," says Noriko, looking at L as she does. "Ehl!"

L chuckles warmly as he walks over and scoops up Noriko from the floor. "Well, you're not quite there yet, but that's better than you were doing a few minutes ago." He then looks at the boys. "Why didn't you teach her how to say 'dada'?"

"We thought about it but then decided you were more important," replies Matt with a shrug. "Besides, we didn't want Light to be the one who she said first, we thought that honor belonged to you."

"I'm touched," says L as he sits down on the couch with Noriko on his lap. "Now, little star, how about we work on refining that new word of yours?"

* * *

Light sighs as he looks at the wall clock, he still has four hours before he can even think about going home and he most assuredly wants to; especially since the boys are there and after the babysitting catastrophe he does not want them alone with Noriko again. It does not matter if L is there or not, he would feel better about them being there if he were there to begin with. He looks at the mountain of paperwork waiting to be filled out with regards to their latest case but he cannot bring himself to do it just yet. Yes, they caught the guy who murdered four people and yes they were able to bring him in alive, but he feels empty. When he and L worked together, however briefly, there was something more exciting to the chase, and usually the cases were more interesting than just someone who was murdering his girlfriend's ex-lovers. Not to say it is unimportant work, and that he is not glad the man responsible will be brought to justice, but somehow it is not as rewarding.

' _There has to be a better way,'_ he thinks as he pulls the first piece of paper from the pile down and begins filling it out. _'I want to do detective work but not like this, not anymore.'_

Light becomes so absorbed in the mundanity of the paperwork that he does not hear someone approaching his desk, at least not until that person puts a hand on his shoulder. Jumping slightly he looks up to see his father looking down at him, a grave look on his face and for a moment he thinks he is in trouble.

"Light, please come to my office," says Soichiro and together they walk towards his office, neither one saying a word as they do. When they enter, Soichiro silently indicates for Light to sit down, and he does about the same time that his father sits at his desk. "You're not happy here, are you?"

"What are you talking about? Of course I am," says Light though even as he does he knows it is a lie.

Soichiro smiles a little. "Light, I'm your father, I can tell when you aren't enjoying something. I've noticed the difference ever since you told me I was going to be a grandfather. You would rather be at home with your family than here all day, am I correct?"

Light sighs a little. "Yes, sir."

"And you don't find these cases to be a particular challenge to you either," continues Soichiro, eyeing his son carefully.

"No, sir," replies Light, balling his hands into fists to keep his composure. "In all honesty I'd rather be working with L."

Soichiro nods. "Yes, I thought this might happen eventually." He then slides a file to Light. "This isn't a case but it is a recommendation from me that you be allowed to work from home while still maintaining all the same privileges you would have if you worked at the office. If you choose to accept this, you will be able to stay at home and do your work as if you were at the office, and if we need you we would call you back here to work with us." Soichiro then looks forlornly at his son. "I was never given this option when I started my family and perhaps if I had things might have turned out differently. That's why I'm offering this, so you can avoid making my mistakes."

"Dad, you didn't make any mistakes," says Light sincerely, while he had never been happy growing up with his father not always around, he did not think it was a mistake for him to choose work over family. If he had, this conversation might not even be happening.

"I'm glad you think so," says Soichiro though Light knows he does not believe him. "Now, tell me, Detective Yagami what is your decision?"

Light does not even need to think twice as he reaches for the file.

* * *

The front door swings open and Light walks in as if he were on air, the knowledge that tomorrow he can be with his family all day refreshing his soul in ways he did not think possible. He sets down his briefcase and suit jacket, taking off his shoes before heading to the family room where he can hear several voices all clamoring at once. As he enters he sees the boys playing video games while L watches on, Noriko on his lap.

Near turns around and sees him standing behind the couch. "It appears that Light Yagami has returned early from work."

Everyone in the room then looks at him with curious expressions, considering it is the middle of the day and he is not usually home until the evening hours.

"What happened Yagami, did you get fired?" asks Mello as he resumes his game.

Light rolls his eyes as he moves around to sit beside L and Noriko. "No, my dad gave me the chance to work from home now, I don't have to go into the office everyday though for some cases I could be called in."

"It's nice that things worked out for you," says L as he kisses Light softly. "It will be nice having you home more often."

"I agree," says Light as he pulls Noriko onto his lap. "And how is my baby girl today?"

"She said her first word," says Matt as he wrecks Mello's virtual car. "We taught her to say 'L'."

Light looks skeptically at L who merely shrugs.

"She makes a sound that sort of resembles my name," explains L as he puts his laptop down for now. "It doesn't exactly sound like it but it's close enough to count."

"So is she expected to call you 'L' rather than 'daddy'?" asks Light as he smoothens out Noriko's hair.

L shrugs again. "I'm not sure but for now at least I know whom she is addressing."

Noriko looks up at L then at Light, smiling wide. "Dada."

"What did you say, Nori?" asks Light, not believing his own ears.

"Dada," repeats Noriko. "Dada. Dada."

Light points at himself. "Who am I?"

Noriko looks frustrated as she puts her hand on Light's stomach. "Dada."

"I guess she knows how to speak now," says Near happily.

"I think you're right," says Light, his eyes misting over. "My baby called me 'dada'."

"Ehl," says Noriko, looking right at L as she spoke, then she looks at Light. "Dada."

L's eyebrows go to his hairline. "Light, I think she knows the difference between us."

Light laughs loudly as he scoops Noriko up and cuddles her close. "I knew you'd be a smart one, Nori, and this just proves it. Now I'm really glad to be able to be home more often."

"I think I just found my replacement," says L fondly as he moves in closer beside Light, his husband putting an arm around his shoulders to hold his family closer.

Matt, Mello, and Near all look at Noriko who is smiling at them, as if knowing whom she would be replacing as heir.

"What the hell have we done?" they ask in unison.


	14. Chapter 14

Nightmare

He can hear them laughing, the shadows are mocking him. They do not think he can succeed, they want to see him fail and he is ready to prove them wrong. Light looks down and sees it there in the murky water, gleaming as if it is made of glass rather than being submerged in what he cares not to know. In the dim light he can make out the words that would make others turn away, but he is different, he knows those words will lead him to power again. With hardly a thought, there is a pen in his hand, the weapon mightier than any sword. Now that he has his tools again, he begins to write names.

When he is done, the water he had been standing him was full of blood, looking up from that he sees an endless void of a blood filled sea with bodies sticking out of it like rocks. He cares not for the ones he sees first, they are irrelevant to him and were simply causing trouble for the good people of the world. Light is glad to see them dead, they deserved it for what they had done. Walking on, he sees faces of familiar criminals, ones he has either helped to put away or ones he saw while watching the news. Their deaths are of little concern to him in fact they are a triumph, he succeeded where once he had failed and now the world is rid of their filth.

Moving on he starts to notice the faces register in his mind as being people he knew from his past, the ones he went to school with and who were there to cheer him on socially. His heart feels like a spider is crawling over it as he observes their lifeless bodies, but he is quick to ignore it. They must have done something, he is sure, something that warranted his wrath. With a quicker pace he continues his journey, the feeling in his heart intensifies when he sees the faces of people he has known for years and whom at one point he considered friends and family. Their faces twisted in agony, frozen in death and it tells Light they suffered in their death. He is confused, why are these people dead: His father and mother, his baby sister, his good friends, his fellow investigators, Watari, Misa, the boys? What could they have possibly done that was so bad to have deserved this kind of fate?

Light scans the sea of all too familiar faces, the ones he saw almost every day and takes some solace in the fact there are two distinct faces missing. Two faces he has a feeling are waiting to celebrate his victory with him when he is finished wading through this sea of death. Determined to find them, he hurries on, towards a shaft of white light near the end of the sea. Standing in the light is a dark haired man holding an infant girl.

"L! Noriko!" he cries, his voice sounds distant and foreign but he hardly cares, he can see the two people who mean the world to him just a few steps away. He throws his arms around them only to find himself embracing nothing. Looking up he sees another shaft of light, this one red and tentatively he moves towards it, but nothing prepares him for what he sees.

His husband and daughter are lifeless, their eyes fixed on nothing as they stare blankly up at him, their bodies floating motionlessly in the blood red sea. Light can feel what may have been his heart breaking in half, it certainly felt like a part of him had been removed and laid bare for him to see. With a strangled cry he falls to his knees and reaches for the bodies of the ones he never wanted to harm, of the ones he wanted to protect with his own life. Touching L's face he finds his hand feeling nothing even though it is clearly on skin, panicked he tries to pick up Noriko but finds that his hands go straight through her. They lay there like an offering but he cannot embrace them for a final time.

"Look at how many people you've killed, Light," comes Ryuk's voice seemingly from everywhere.

"I didn't mean to kill all of them!" he shouts, looking down at L and Noriko before looking for the god of death.

"All it did was go around in a full circle," says Ryuk. "A life for a life, isn't that how the saying goes?"

"Not their lives, please not their lives," begs Light as he tries fruitlessly to hold his family in his arms again.

"The desperate are always the most interesting," cackles Ryuk.

Light stands and searches for the Shinigami, determined to kill him for what he has done. "I trusted you, you bastard! I trusted you to be on my side."

"I'm afraid that the trust of me will be the fate of you," replies Ryuk. "Besides, Shinigami trust Shinigami before humans."

"They were innocent!" shouts Light, his eyes burning with unshed tears. "My family and friends, my husband and daughter, they did nothing wrong!"

Ryuk cackles again. "Yes they did, Light. What they did wrong was love and trust in you. That was their mistake. And when you picked up the Death Note again, you forfeited their trust. When you used it, you threw away their love. It was you who was the death of them, Light."

Light does not want to hear this, he wants to change what he has done, wants to reject the notebook forever but none of this he can do. Instead he goes to his knees beside his dead heart and weeps openly, his cries echoing off the nothingness.

He hears Ryuk's voice one last time. "You have lost, Light."

* * *

Light bolts awake, sweat pouring down his body like a fever just broke. Glancing over he sees L's side of the bed empty and for a moment he thinks that he really is dead, that he had been dreaming of his death as it happened. Leaping from bed he makes a mad dash for Noriko's room, crossing the room in a few strides at most to check on his daughter. In the light of the moon he sees his daughter's crib empty, as if she had never been there to begin with. Defeated he falls to his knees, his body shaking as he cries clutching the bars of the crib that once held his baby daughter. He wonders why Ryuk decided now to take them from him.

' _Perhaps he thought I was too happy?'_ considers Light miserably.

Suddenly something cool and solid touches his shoulder, he nearly jumps out of his skin and turning around he sees L looking down at him with a great deal of worry, Noriko is nestled safely in his arms. Without a second thought, Light scrambles up and holds them both tightly against him, relieved to find that he can in fact touch them and that they are still with him.

"Light, are you alright?" asks L, his voice muffled against Light's bare shoulder. "You're acting rather strangely for a weeknight."

Light laughs and kisses him tenderly, then moves to take Noriko from him, the infant making a small sound of protest at the loss of heat before snuggling against Light's naked chest. He finds himself crying all over again, which only serves to worry L more.

"Light, what's going on?" asks L seriously, touching Light's cheek and forcing eye contact. "And don't you dare lie to me, I know something's wrong."

"I had a nightmare," says Light quietly as he struggles for the right words. "I dreamt . . . that I became Kira again."

In the darkened room Light could see L tense and almost pull away from him, his dark grey orbs going directly to Noriko as if working out a plan to pull her away from Light.

Light takes a step back. "I'm not him, L, not anymore. The nightmare showed me that much anyway."

"Noriko and I were killed by Kira I assume," says L, his words phrased as a statement rather than a question and Light nods solemnly. "I see, and you obviously did not like this outcome so you have concluded that it means you are no longer Kira, correct?"

Again Light nods.

"Light, do you know why I never made you give up ownership of the Death Note?" asks L as he takes a step towards Light.

"You wanted me to suffer the consequences of my actions," says Light, his finger holding Noriko's small hand. "You wanted me to understand that mass murderers won't get off easy no matter what they try to do."

L shakes his head. "No, I wanted you to remember what you did so you could make sure it never happened again. I wanted you to know that you can reform of your own free will, not just be reformed because of some outside influence. Yes, I wanted you to pay for your actions to a certain degree, but I never wanted you to think for a second I was doing it out of spite." He puts his arms around Light and Noriko. "I love you, Light and it's because of that love that I didn't want to lose you to the influence of the notebook. I wanted you to fight it with every fiber of your being, and it seems to be working."

Light let out a breathy laugh. "You are something else, L, and I wouldn't change that for all the world." He kisses him again, this time not out of desperation. "You should know this isn't the first nightmare I've had, I've been having them ever since I stopped using the Death Note."

"And it won't be the last," says L gravely. "The fact you have survived this long while being plagued by them means you can and are fighting against it, you know the world could be better but you're choosing a different path." He presses his forehead against Light's, their daughter wedged comfortably between them. "But no matter what, I will always be there to fight with you, Light. I'm not going to give up the fight for your soul and I'm sure Noriko would say something similar if she could."

"I know, L, and for the two of you I will always fight," says Light sincerely and he moves to hold L then guides him out of the room. "Let's go to bed, my love."

"Are you sure you want Noriko with us?" asks L as they enter their room. "Weren't you worried about her developing an unhealthy dependency?"

"To hell with that, I need my family tonight," declares Light as gets into bed, Noriko still safely in his grip.

L brings over a cashmere blanket from the closet and climbs into bed, using the blanket to make a little nest between them for Noriko to sleep in. Light grins when he sees it and gently places their daughter in the downy heap, his fingers brushing over her hair ever so gently and he is once again taken aback by how much she looks like him. Then he and L huddle around the nest, their hands joined and fingers intertwined, they share a loving gaze before sleep takes one of them. As L stares at Light's sleeping form he hopes his husband has pleasant dreams and that someday there will be a night when a nightmare will not come.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So, I've been thinking of possibly doing a full blown story involving TWICHB's universe. What do you all think? Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 **Shopping**

Misa hums happily as she pushes Noriko in her stroller, the two of them just getting back from looking at a house nearby. It had been decided after she returned from Paris that she should start looking for her own house and while she was a little reluctant to do so, Light and L assured her that it could be close by to where they lived. The three of them had become quite good friends it seemed, at least to her.

"What did you think of that house, honey?" asks Misa to Noriko who is busy trying to reach for the toys hovering above her head. "Should Mommy move there?"

Noriko regards her mother for a moment and seems to babble something that sounds vaguely like 'no.'

"Yeah, I agree with you," says Misa as she taps Noriko lightly on the nose. "It was nice and very modern but there was just something off about it. I don't want you to grow up in a house that doesn't ever feel like a home."

"Ood!" shouts Noriko and Misa laughs. "Ood Isa!"

"Yes, that's a good idea on _Mommy's_ part," replies Misa not even caring that people were looking at her somewhat strangely. "Well, since your daddies are busy right now, do you think we should go get some lunch? There's a great restaurant nearby."

Noriko claps her hands, smiling like she understands what she is being told and that is good enough for Misa. Heading to the intersection, she waits patiently for the light to change so they can cross, rocking back and forth on her heels like she cannot stand still long enough.

"That's so sad," she hears someone whisper behind her. "That poor little girl. Babies shouldn't be having babies."

Normally Misa would have taken that to mean she looks young for a mother but for someone to insinuate that she is a teenage mother is hardly flattering to her. She rounds to the person behind her, who she sees is an older woman and frowns severely, her hands on her hips. "I'm twenty-three!"

The woman looks appropriately embarrassed and so does her companion, the two of them apologizing just before the light turns for them to cross. Misa tosses her hair and pushes the stroller as quickly as she can, wanting to be as far away from those people as possible. As she hurries to the restaurant, the woman's words bounce around her head like a rubber ball, and she looks down at her attire and concludes that this is why she thought she is a young mother. Misa is wearing a bright pink miniskirt with black leggings, a skintight white long sleeved shirt and her favorite pair of white furry boots. Hardly an outfit befitting the mature mother she sees herself as.

"I think I need to go shopping," sighs Misa as they head into the restaurant.

* * *

Lunch goes splendidly, of course every time she brings Noriko it seems to, the staff in any store or restaurant just fawns over her and do anything they can to make sure they are both happy. Several of the wait staff had offered to carry her and hold her while Misa ate her three-course meal, they even went and warmed up her bottle when Misa asked. The owner even came out to see what all the fuss was about and after bouncing Noriko on his knee; he gave Misa free dessert as a 'thank you' for having such a sweet and beautiful baby. Misa does not often tell Light and L about these things, they would probably admonish her for supposedly taking advantage of a stranger's kindness and using Noriko to get free stuff and better service.

"I'm such a lucky mom," sighs Misa happily as she pushes the pram towards the nearest clothing store. "Are you going to help Mommy pick out some new clothes?"

Noriko looks at her and smiles, waving her hands excitedly.

"You're so adorable, Nori," says Misa with a big smile as they head into the store. "Now, I have to buy clothes that make me look like a mature mother rather than a teenage babysitter."

She searches the racks for what feels like hours, not finding anything that really stands out to her, everything she picks just looks so boring and not as cute as she is used to dressing. With a sigh she sits down and thinks about how to best approach this problem without resorting to calling Light, the only person she can think of who might know how she should dress. Then an idea strikes her and she reaches for her phone and dials Sayu's number.

"Hey Sayu, it's Misa," says Misa, tickling the bottom of Noriko's socked foot. "Listen, I'm out shopping and need some help, think you could help me out?"

" _Of course!_ " exclaims Sayu excitedly. " _Text me the address and I'll be over as soon as I can, I'm pretty much done for the day._ "

"Great! See you soon," says Misa merrily as she hangs up and quickly texts Sayu the address of the department store she is in. Glancing over at Noriko, whom is playing with a toy Misa had found while searching for clothes, she sighs, "Hopefully your Aunt Sayu knows how a grown woman should dress."

Hardly any time passes before Sayu appears, purse slung over her shoulder and her usual dazzling smile adorning her adorable face. Misa spots her right away and waves enthusiastically, the teenager dashing over to her within seconds, her cheeks rosy and brown eyes sparkling as she composes herself.

"Don't you look excited to shop," teases Misa as she embraces the younger girl, a girl she considers now as a sister. "Thanks for coming so quickly, I hope I wasn't interrupting something."

Sayu shakes her head as she returns the gesture. "Not really, I was just out getting coffee nearby." She then sees Noriko's stroller and hurries over to greet her niece. "Hi Noriko! It's your Aunt Sayu!"

"Yu! Yu!" says Noriko when she sees her aunt, reaching her hands up to touch Sayu.

"She's getting better at talking," observes Sayu as she holds her niece's tiny hand in hers. "You should have heard Light when he called Mom and Dad about it, you could hear the glow in his voice. Apparently Ryuzaki's jealous that she can't say his name yet."

Misa giggles, she knows full well that Noriko can say Ryuzaki's name, well his real name anyway. It is very difficult for her not to reveal this to Sayu, she does not like having to hide all of this from Light's sister. "I'm sure she'll get the hang of it someday," she says casually. "So, ready to help me shop?"

Sayu nods as she releases Noriko's hand. "Absolutely. What are you looking for exactly?"

"Clothes that will make me look like a mature mother rather than a teenaged one," replies Misa, slightly bitter. "Some old woman was whispering about how babies shouldn't be having babies, I thought I should find some clothes that make me look at least a bit more . . . adult."

"I see," says Sayu thoughtfully. "Well, jeans are always a good start, ones that are one the darker side of blue without all of the bling. And you should think of wearing pastels and solid colors, if you pick a patterned shirt it shouldn't be overly flashy." She then sees Misa's expression and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Misa, don't worry, I won't dress you like you're forty. I'm just going to give you a more updated look."

Misa laughs. "Have you ever considered being a professional shopper or fashion designer?"

"Not until now," replies Sayu with a grin.

* * *

When they finish shopping it is almost dinnertime, and they emerge from the store with bags laden on their arms full of clothes, shoes, and accessories for both women. Noriko is sleeping away in her stroller as Misa pushes it towards the cabstand nearby, Sayu chatting aimlessly beside her. Suddenly the stroller collides with something, or rather someone, and when she looks up Misa is stunned.

"Hideki!" she says, surprised and a little confused. "I thought you were in Spain filming."

The actor looks a little bashful. "I was but I came back a couple of days ago. I was hoping to bump into you actually, well not literally of course, but I guess that can't be helped now."

Misa looks to Sayu for some input but the younger girl is too star struck to be of any help.

"Why did you want to see me?" asks Misa in a slightly clipped tone, though she knows she does not really have the right. She was the one who broke things off with him in the first place.

"I wanted to see how you were doing," says Hideki with a slight shrug, seemingly unsure of himself or his actions. "I heard you weren't going international like you wanted and I was worried something happened."

"Well something did happen," says Misa with a small smile. "I had a baby."

Hideki looks torn between being angry and curious, the latter winning out in the end. "So you actually went through with that plan? I thought you were joking."

"I never joke about something serious," replies Misa, glancing down at Noriko, who was quietly watching her mother. "Now if you'll excuse us."

She makes a move to leave but Hideki holds the stroller in place, confusing and irritating Misa greatly.

"May I see your baby?" he asks and Misa reluctantly nods, reaching into the stroller to retrieve Noriko. She hands her daughter over to the actor who holds her like she is made of glass. "She's beautiful Misa, just like you."

"I think she looks more like her daddy," coos Misa as she reaches over to fix Noriko's blanket. "What are you really doing here, Hideki? It can't just be to find out why I decided to stay local."

Hideki nods his head a little as he continues to stare at Noriko. "You're right, I'm not. I'm here to ask you to take me back." He looks up at her pleadingly. "This last year without you has been utter hell, Misa, and I want to be with you again."

Misa feels her heart flutter in her chest, it is just like a scene out of a movie. "It's been over a year, actually." She then takes Noriko back from him. "And I don't know if we should be together, Hideki, I have a child now and you told me that you didn't want kids."

"I changed my mind," he says firmly. "When you told me how much this meant to you, even if I thought at the time it was a joke, I realized that I was wrong to say I didn't want kids. And besides, I think I can handle raising one, if it's two then we'll have to talk."

"Well, I'm not actually raising Noriko," says Misa with a sad smile. "I carried her, yes, but her real parents are Light and his husband Ryuzaki. I'm just lucky to get what time I can with her between the way the two of them act."

"Even better," says Hideki happily. "I can get my feet wet parenting without having to worry about screwing her up too much." He then comes from around the stroller and wraps his arms around Misa. "Please reconsider Misa, I don't want to go on without you." He then kisses her cheek before releasing her and heading down the street.

Sayu recovers her voice the moment he leaves. "Wow, that was unbelievable! To think he wants you back after all this time and that he wants to have a family with you! Misa, it's a dream come true."

Misa nods as she puts Noriko back in the stroller, the spot on her cheek where he had kissed her burning pleasantly. "Yeah, I guess it is, but I don't know if I want to go out with him again. He can tell me all he likes that he's changed and that he's missed me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to hop back into his arms."

"Damn," whispers Sayu as she looks up at Misa in a new light. "The Misa I first met would have been over the moon to have a guy she cared about say something like that. This Misa is so different."

"This Misa is a mother and an adult now," says Misa with a confident grin. "And besides, I have to consult with Light and Ryuzaki about this. They might not like their daughter being around a famous actor."

"Yeah, you have a point," says Sayu as they start walking again. "They're so secretive."

Misa cannot help but giggle. "Yes, but it's not without good reason. Trust me."


	16. Chapter 16

Flowers

The doorbell rings and Light goes to answer it, Noriko in one arm, his glasses perched on the end of his nose. He had been trying to feed his daughter and work on some paperwork, but it seems the universe is conspiring against him. When he answers the door, there is no one standing on the doorstep, instead there is a large bouquet of the reddest roses Light has ever seen with a smaller bouquet of pink lilies beside it. Light glances around for any indication that the deliveryman is still nearby, finding no one he groans, kneeling down he sets Noriko on the ground.

"Don't go anywhere, sweetie, Daddy just has to pick up the flowers," he explains as he picks up the two vases, the one with roses far more awkward than he anticipated. Once he has them in his grip, he stands back up and uses his foot to close the door before his daughter can escape to explore the world beyond the house. She is starting to get mobile and they do not want her to somehow escape without their notice, it is bad enough when L takes her without telling Light.

"I wonder who these are for," says Light as he walks into the kitchen, Noriko crawling behind him, he slows his pace so she can keep up. "The pink ones are probably for Nori."

At the sound of her name, Noriko makes a happy sound and Light grins, quickly putting the flowers on the counter before kneeling down to scoop her up in his arms. She giggles and he only smiles wider, kissing the top of her head then turning his attention back to the flowers, inspecting for a card. He finds one nestled in with the lilies:

 _To the beautiful girl you brought into the world._

"I guess I was right," says Light as he puts the card down before looking in the roses. He finds another card, this one obviously more romantic than the other one:

 _To the one who owns my heart._

Light cannot help but be melted by the touching words on the card, it feels like it has been so long since L and he did anything remotely romantic; the policeman's ball had been nice, but it was not the same as when they would go out to nice restaurants or cozy bistros, then go for a walk. Currently his husband is in another city, working on a more local case, not too far away this time yet it still felt like he was on the other side of the world his absence was so pronounced. It made Light wonder if the separation is what prompted L to send the flowers.

"That man," sighs Light contentedly. "He's always full of surprises, isn't he?"

"Dada, baba," says Noriko, patting Light.

"Right, your bottle," says Light a little reluctantly, he traces a fingertip across one of the velvet petals and at the insistence of his daughter, he goes back to the family room. Thankfully the roses are in his sight from his chair.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Misa arrives from her photo shoot, she can barely stand she is so exhausted; the shoot involved modeling various gymnastic pieces and she had to use them while wearing the outfits she was in. Stumbling into the family room she finds Noriko playing in her bouncer and Light sitting in his chair with papers scattered all about him. He looks up and smiles when he sees her.

"Misa's home, Noriko," says Light and Noriko looks up at Misa, smiling.

All signs of exhaustion are wiped from Misa's face when she sees her daughter smiling at her, and she hurries over, scooping the infant from her toy and cuddling her close. "Oh Nori, Mommy missed you so much!"

"Isa!" says Noriko, patting her mother lightly. "Isa! Dada, Isa."

Light chuckles warmly. "Yes, Noriko, I see Misa. How did the shoot go?"

Misa shrugs as she lies on the couch, Noriko on her chest. "Fine, it just went on too long. How did your day go? Anything exciting?"

"Not really," says Light, keeping his gaze away from the roses sitting in the kitchen, he has been considering a more appropriate location for them and has yet to decide. "Cracked the so called code the drug dealers were using and forwarded that information to my father. With that information they should be able to find out where the next deal will be made and arrest them."

"That's great news, Light," says Misa excitedly, managing to stifle a yawn. "Any word from L?"

"Nothing yet," replies Light as he takes off his glasses to rub his eyes. "I'm sure he'll be home soon though, he hasn't been staying away as often or as long as before."

Misa nods, her fingers dancing over the soft curls on Noriko's head. "Yeah, he doesn't like to stay away much anymore. And if he has to, I'm sure he'll take you with him, especially if it means leaving the country."

"You have a point," says Light, scanning the papers in front of him, tempted to toss them aside the moment L comes home. "I've heard a rumor about you, Misa."

"What kind of rumor?" asks Misa a little tentatively. She has a feeling already what he is about to discuss with her and she did not want now to be the time to speak about Hideki. Yes, she had seen him a few times since their initial meeting but this was not what he was referring to, he was referring to the first meeting.

"That you were spotted speaking rather intimately with Hideki Ryuuga while out shopping," says Light slowly, gauging her reaction. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Misa knows she has to say something, he knows everything except what the conversation entailed though she is sure he has a general idea. "He came back because he wants to be with me again. He says he's changed his mind about everything, and that he wants me to take him back."

Light considers her words thoughtfully. "And what did you say?"

"I told him the truth, that I would have to consider it carefully," replies Misa as she watches Noriko's eyes become heavier. "I mean I'm not going to leap back into his arms just because of a few nice words and potentially empty promises. For all I know he might not have changed but is telling me what I want to hear so he can win me back."

"An interesting deduction," says Light with a nod. "I daresay you've learned a thing or two over the last few years. So, do you want to date Hideki again?"

Misa thinks on it for a moment. "Yes, I really do, he was so sweet and loving when we were together even if work took us apart he didn't give me any reason to lose trust in him." She frowns slightly. "Still, I'm not sure if I should. Noriko is a big factor in most of my major decisions now."

Light smiles fondly. "She's a prominent fixture in our lives, so it's only natural that you consider her in your decisions now. Does Hideki know about her?"

"Yes, he's actually met her," says Misa a little slowly, hoping Light is not upset. "She didn't scream when he held her or anything so I take that as a sign she likes him."

"He held her?" asks Light, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"For a moment," sighs Misa, barely able to keep her eyes open by this point. "Light, would it be alright if I start a relationship with Hideki again?"

Light considers her request carefully, while he wants to see her happy after all she has done for them and for Noriko, he cannot help but consider the potential dangers of her being involved with someone as high profile as Hideki. It could create a problem if he were to figure out who L really was or if he actually had and was using Misa as a way to get to him and the rest of the family. _'Maybe it would be better if Misa didn't date anyone,'_ he thinks then stops that line of thought completely. Now he is just being selfish, Misa has more than earned the opportunity to be with someone who loves her, and who was he to decide what was and was not safe for L? After all Light was Kira and is now married to the man who would have seen him executed.

"I don't see any issue," says Light with a casual shrug. "Just make sure not to let anything important slip and if anything suspicious happens, you let me or L know right away."

Misa nods, a contented smile on her lips. "I will, Light, thank you for trusting me." Her eyes began to close. "And Light, those are beautiful roses. You're lucky to have L."

"That I am, I'll have to find a way to thank him," says Light as she falls to sleep and he resumes his work, formulating what to do once L did arrive home.

* * *

It is almost dark by the time the car pulls up to the driveway, Watari is quick to park it and let him out, grabbing the luggage from the trunk and handing it to L.

"Do you think Light and Noriko will be awake?" asks L as he picks up his baggage. "I do hate to miss tucking Nori into bed."

Watari smiles warmly, patting his surrogate son's shoulder. "I'm sure Light is still awake, and Noriko is likely in her bath, getting ready to have you tell her a story and tuck her in."

"And I'm sure she'll enjoy this one," says L happily as he gives Watari a small smile before heading inside the house, not even watching as the man he considers his father gets in the car and drives away.

Once inside he heads straight for the family room, the light in there indicating that someone is there and he hopes it is Light. Upon entering he finds Misa asleep on the couch, Noriko snuggly on her chest, her arms wrapped around the infant to keep her safe. L notices the blanket on her lower half and deduces that Light must have done that before leaving the room.

L places his thumb against his lips as he surveys the area. _'I wonder where he could have gone?'_

With a fleeting glance at Noriko and Misa, L heads towards the kitchen hoping for a snack when he sees rose petals that he had not noticed before since he was so focused on finding Light here. Curious, he follows the trail that leads up to the stairs, he has a feeling he knows where this is going to lead but that does not stop him from heading up. As he suspected, the trail ends just outside his and Light's bedroom door, a shiver of excitement trails down his spine and he eagerly opens the door wondering what he will find on the other side.

What greets him is a sight unlike any other and one he is likely to never forget. Light is sitting naked on their bed, rose petals scattered across the comforter and pillows, and some petals are placed tantalizingly over Light's half hard manhood. L can barely remember to breathe as he takes in the vision that is his husband.

The way Light is looking at him makes him weak in the knees; almost to the point he cannot stand except through will alone. Light says nothing, instead silently beckoning him to join him in the alluring rose garden, and L is all too happy to obey his command; quickly shedding his clothes as he crosses the room. He has no idea what has put Light in this mood but he makes a mental note to ask for later.

* * *

Something vibrates against Misa's leg and for a moment she ignores it, thinking it to be part of her dream, but it keeps insisting on being present and soon she comes to realize that it is not part of a dream. Tentatively opening her eyes, she sees Noriko still asleep on her chest, and the vibrations coming from her jeans' pocket. Still a little hazy she pulls out her phone and answers it, not really looking at the name on her caller ID.

"Hello?" she asks groggily, rubbing her eyes as she tries not to disturb Noriko.

" _Misa, it's Hideki,_ " says Hideki on the other end. " _How are you, beautiful?_ "

"Well, just a little tired," replies Misa as she adjusts her position so she is sitting up, her daughter still on her chest, sound asleep. "What about you?"

" _I'm fine, just missing you mostly,_ " says Hideki sweetly. " _I enjoyed having coffee with you the other day, it was really nice to catch up with you. How's Noriko?_ "

"She's fine, she's sleeping on my chest right now," she says smiling. "Listen Hideki, I've been thinking, maybe we should try again. These last few days with you have been wonderful and I don't want it to stop."

There is silence on the other end. " _Misa, you have no idea how happy that makes me. I've been waiting for you to say that since I saw you that day near the cabstand. I had hoped you'd accept but I wasn't sure, that's why I sent you the flowers._ "

"Flowers?" asks Misa, looking over the top of the couch and sees that the only flowers that were there are the pink ones. "The roses and pink lilies?" _'I thought those were for Light from L.'_

" _That's right,_ " says Hideki, a smile in his voice. " _The roses are for you_ and _I wanted to give Noriko something nice too, after all she is your daughter and I have to try to build a relationship with her._ "

Misa has to keep from laughing. "Hideki, she's just a baby, you don't have to worry about that right now."

" _Yes but, I think I should start,_ " counters Hideki to her surprise and pleasure. " _After all, if things go well, I'll be around her more often._ " He pauses and she wonders if he hung up. " _Anyway, what did you think of the flowers?_ "

"I thought they were beautiful," she says honestly, then she hears a series of loud thumps coming from the ceiling and she grins wryly. "I think my friends liked them too."

" _That's great! I was worried you wouldn't like them,_ " says Hideki a little shakily. " _I should go I have a PR meeting to help promote my movie. I'll call you a little later tonight, if that's alright?_ "

"That's fine," says Misa happily. "Bye."

" _Good bye,_ " says Hideki and he hangs up.

A loud moan is heard through the ceiling and Misa can only shake her head. Apparently Light found a way to 'thank' L for the flowers even though they were not from him.

"Yes, I think my friends liked the flowers very much," she says as she covers her ears.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: This is a two-parter; since the Japanese celebrate New Year's like most of the world celebrates Christmas, I'll be posting one for that as well in a couple of weeks. I like the idea that Misa celebrates Christmas like a Westerner.**

* * *

Christmas

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"L!"

"Misa."

Light walks into the living room to see his husband and best friend standing toe to toe with each other, glaring harshly. He notices Noriko sitting in her bouncer staring up at them curiously, a small red velvet and white fur dress lying on the ground next to her. He can only guess what they are fighting about now.

"She's going and that's final," declares Misa, pointing in the general direction of Noriko's bouncer. "All children need to get their photo taken with Santa Claus."

"And I told you that she's not," says L sternly. "I'm not about to let my daughter be manhandled by a potential child molester in a red suit. If it's that important to you then we can have Watari dress up as Santa and have the picture that way."

"That's not the same!" counters Misa, her hands squarely on her hips. "L, the whole point is to go out and create memories, not stay inside and create something that could be interpreted as memories."

L frowns. "That's how it was done at Wammy's."

"This isn't Wammy's!" shouts Misa.

Light makes the mistake of taking a step forward, the creaking of the floor gives him away.

"Light!" cries Misa and L in unison.

"I was just leaving," says Light, turning on his heel. "Just pretend I wasn't here."

He then hears what sounds like running coming from behind, he turns around just in time to see Misa launching herself in the air, arms outstretched before coming in for a landing on his back. They tumble to the ground and he seriously rethinks giving her an extension on living with them.

"Don't go! I need you," she begs, her shrill voice ringing in his ear. "Tell L that it's perfectly fine for Noriko to go to the mall for a photo with Santa."

"Get off me," says Light with a slight groan, she is much heavier than she appears. "Now!"

Misa slides off of him and he sits up, rubbing the spots on his body that were hurt in the fall, he glares at both of them wondering why he even bothered coming downstairs in the first place. "Now, why is this an issue?" he asks somewhat patiently.

"Because L is trying to ruin our daughter's life," replies Misa, glaring up at L from her position on the floor. "He doesn't think it's necessary for her to get a picture with Santa to commemorate her first Christmas."

"And I am thinking of the welfare of our child," explains L, sounding like a pouting child. "I don't think she should be exposed to someone who may be a threat to children. She would be perfectly happy just getting her picture made with Watari."

Light pinches the bridge of his nose, he should have expected this type of conversation to come up at some point; Misa's idea of Christmas and their idea are hardly in the same book, much less the same page. Her bedroom looked as if the Christmas spirit had decided to vomit pink and silver decorations in every corner while the rest of the house sported a more muted and subtle approach to decorating. It was only a matter of time before Noriko was pulled into this hellish battle.

"L, if you're so concerned, why don't you background check the guy?" sighs Light, looking up at his husband. "Misa will probably be more than happy to tell you which mall she's going to and you can look into who is Santa Claus there; and if he isn't up to your standards, you can work together to find another one that isn't Watari." He looks directly at Misa. "You will give L the right name to the mall, and if he doesn't find a suitable Santa, then Watari will be the one dressing up and taking the picture with Noriko. Understood you two?"

"Yes," reply L and Misa.

"Good," says Light as he gets off of the floor, assisting Misa once he is back on his feet. "Remember Misa, in this house we have a more low-key Christmas and a typical New Year, so don't expect a whole lot of Christmas cheer here."

Misa rolls her eyes. "You'd think with L being from England, he'd be much more open to a Western style Christmas."

L shrugs. "It wouldn't make much sense to go against the traditions of the country I reside in the majority of the time. While I miss celebrating Christmas like we did in England, I'm more than happy to give that up in favor of New Year's in Japan."

"Can we agree to that compromise?" asks Light, a headache threatening to overwhelm his thinking. "We'll have a small Christmas celebration here and then celebrate New Year's properly?"

"Fine," huffs Misa as she stomps over and grabs the dress next to Noriko and then Noriko herself. "Now, I'm going to get Nori ready for her picture, you have fifteen minutes to find a suitable Santa before I go to my first choice."

"What is your first choice?" inquires L.

"The one at the mall four miles south of here," snaps Misa as she heads to the staircase.

When she is gone both L and Light give out sighs of relief.

"You're becoming quite the moderator," says L slyly. "Who would have thought you'd be the one to keep the peace where Misa is concerned?"

Light rolls his eyes. "Someone has to, you prefer teasing her to actually reaching a conclusion in an argument."

A look crosses L's face that reminds Light of when Sayu would get caught misbehaving but had no regrets about what she had done. "How the tables have turned, Light Yagami."

"Oh shut up, Ryūzaki," sighs Light. "You had better get started on the background checks, otherwise Misa's going to take Nori to some back alley Santa just to spite you."

That same look remains firmly on L's face. "I already did."

* * *

L drags his feet as he follows Light to the cabstand, a couple of bags in his hands as he wonders how to change this holiday from December to July so he would not be forced to wear a jacket and shoes. Snowflakes are falling in the air, landing on every available surface including L's eyelashes and hair, melting immediately after and causing him to have to rub his eyes every few seconds to keep from going blind.

L releases a sigh, the puff of air lingering for a moment in front of him. "I hope Misa appreciates all we're doing to give her a Christmas celebration, especially since we're shopping on Christmas Eve."

Light goes over and puts an arm around L's shoulders, kissing his cheek. "I'm sure she will, and so will you, once you see the cake I asked Watari to buy."

"Do you really think that bribing me with cake will cheer me up?" asks L, his dark eyes sparkling at the thought of Christmas cake.

"Yes, because I know you," replies Light as he starts towards the cabstand again with L at his side. "Anyway, you can't tell me that you aren't a little excited to celebrate Christmas, Watari told me that you absolutely adored it when you were at the orphanage."

L nods. "I did enjoy it, very much so in fact. The kitchen was always supplied with an ample amount of cookies, cakes, and other treats. A tree in the main foyer, decorated with imported ornaments from Germany and a star handcrafted by a jeweler friend of Watari's."

"It sounds magical," says Light pleasantly as he hails a taxi, one pulling up moments later. "Maybe we could decorate our tree similarly, I'm sure our daughter would love that."

"Isn't she a little young to remember something like that?" asks L knowingly as he climbs into the cab, Light right behind him.

"Maybe, but we'll have pictures to look back on later," replies Light as he shuts the door.

When they arrive home, the snow is coming down harder than before, so they rush inside the house moments before the wind picks up enough to make things more miserable. They take a moment to collect their breath and adjust to the warmth of the house, and then they smell the unmistakable aroma of cookies baking in the oven. Light looks at L and in a flash they are both out of their jackets and shoes, bags put in the closet as they make a mad dash for the kitchen, wondering what is going on.

In the kitchen they see Misa and Watari wearing aprons, Noriko in her bouncer seat on the floor beside the island wearing a small chef's hat and playing with a whisk. Watari is mixing two different types of batter while Misa is rolling out sugar cookie dough and cutting out various shapes.

"Light! L!" says Misa happily when she sees them. "You two look almost frozen, go and sit at the island and we'll get you some hot chocolate."

L and Light, too dazed to argue, stumble to the island and sit down just as Watari puts down two mugs of steaming hot chocolate with a homemade marshmallow floating on the surface. He returns to his station and continues mixing like he did not step away at all.

"When did you find time to make marshmallows and cookies, Watari?" asks Light as he takes a sip of the thick, chocolaty drink.

"I've been doing some baking this last week," explains Watari as he takes one of the bowls full of batter off of the mixer and begins pouring it on a baking sheet. "I hope you don't mind a chocolate Swiss roll cake, it's one of L's favorites at Christmas."

"Sounds delicious," says Light as L picks up Noriko from the floor and settles her on his lap.

Light watches closely as L dips the tip of his pinky into the drink and blows on it for a few moments before gently sticking it in Noriko's mouth, she sucks on it eagerly and her eyes sparkle just like L's do when he gets or thinks about something sweet.

"I think she enjoyed that," says Watari fondly, also having been watching the scene unfold. "I wouldn't give her too much more, L, she might get a stomachache."

L nods as he dips his finger back in his mug and feeds her a little bit more. "A little chocolate never hurt anyone, but I understand your concern, she needs to build up her tolerance before she can eat as much as I can."

Light shakes his head. "No one can eat sweets like you can, L. And I don't want to train Noriko to try either. She'd probably end up with diabetes before she's twelve."

L does not seem to hear him as he bounces Noriko on his knee, deftly keeping her whisk out of reach of his mug. "Watari, which types of cookies are you baking?"

"We've already baked some shortbread," replies Watari as he puts the sponge cake in the oven. "And Misa's been working on some sugar cookies as well as some chocolate chip cookies."

"This reminds me of the kitchen at Wammy's," says L fondly as he adjusts Noriko on his lap to keep her from fussing too much. "Only you didn't do much baking then, you had Roger and Miriam do most of it."

Watari chuckles warmly. "Yes, well, I was especially busy during that time. If I recall, I was often the one distracting you long enough that the other children could get a couple of cookies before you devoured them."

Light laughs at the image that springs up in his mind. "I can see that happening. Should we keep L distracted this time, Watari?"

"I think we should," replies Watari and L frowns. "I hope you don't think me presumptuous, but I brought a few ornaments for your rather barren tree. Why don't you and L decorate while Misa and I finish up in here?"

"Can I bring Nori?" asks L as he gets out of his seat, Noriko and his hot chocolate in his hands.

Watari smiles pleasantly. "Of course, L. I already put the lights on the tree for you, so all you have to do is hang the ornaments and maybe garland if you find one you like."

Light and L nod before heading to the living room, the large artificial tree they had bought when they were first married sitting almost in the center of the room. Like Watari said, the lights were already strung up and several boxes are sitting near L's armchair.

L is the first to the boxes and he is stunned to see that they contain the same ornaments he grew up with at Wammy's; silver snowflakes and stars with red or blue painted on their end points. He sees a smaller box sitting in the armchair and he has a feeling that it contains the same star from the orphanage.

"Ehl," says Noriko and he looks at her with stars in his eyes. "Ehl."

"I think I know what I want you to call me, little star," says L sweetly as he picks up an ornament. "I want you to call me 'Papa'. So you'll have a daddy and a papa."

"I think that's appropriate," says Light as he picks up a few ornaments from a box. "You can teach it to her while we decorate."

* * *

After about an hour of arguing about the decorations and fifteen minutes of actually decorating, the tree is finally finished, including the bejeweled star that L insisted on putting up himself while Light held Noriko so she could watch. There are several wrapped packages under the tree as well, some from when Misa went shopping a few days ago and the rest were from Light and L's shopping trip that afternoon. L suspected that a couple were from Watari as well.

"It looks beautiful," says Light, stifling a yawn.

L looks at his husband curled up beside him, their daughter nestled between them and he grins. "Not as beautiful as this right here."

Light lets a lazy grin stretch across his lips. "I love it when you say things like that, L, it's so rare and so wonderful."

"Perhaps I should say such things more often then," considers L as he dangles a piece of ribbon in front of Noriko's eyes. "That way you and Noriko know exactly how much you two mean to me."

"I already know," says Light warmly as he holds L's hand.

Misa and Watari then enter, each of them with a tray in hand.

"Wow you guys!" exclaims Misa as she puts her tray down on a nearby table. "The tree looks incredible! I love the decorations, they're so beautiful."

"They were mine from when I was a child," says Watari as he too puts down his tray, before picking up two plates full of cookies and a generous slice of Swiss roll cake. "The star was made for me by a friend of mine in Russia, a gift after I did a small favor for him."

Light and L share a skeptical look as they are given their respective plates.

"Watari, that star is made of real gold," says Light before taking a bite of a shortbread cookie.

"And the jewels are real as well," continues L, swiping his finger through the frosting on the cake. "This favor you did for him must have been more than what you're saying."

Watari winks at them as he sits down in a chair, a plate of his own in hand. "I'll tell you about it someday, maybe when Noriko is old enough to understand."

"Papa!" shouts Noriko as she gazes up at L, his finger still covered in chocolate frosting. "Papa, me!"

L looks at her and then at the frosting. "I don't think so, little star, Dada and Grandfather think it'll give you a tummy ache."

Noriko looks as if she is about to cry and L caves in immediately, placing the frosting in her mouth to keep her silent. Light just rolls his eyes as Misa laughs and Watari looks ruminative as he watches L and Noriko.

"I think this is better than Christmas day," says Misa serenely as she looks at the lighted tree. "Maybe we should just consider this Christmas instead."

Light is a little surprised. "What about the presents, Misa? Don't you want to open them tomorrow?"

Misa shrugs. "Maybe, or we can just wait until New Year's."

"You know, Misa," says L between bites of cake, "Christmas Eve is for couples, correct? Why aren't you with Hideki this evening?"

"I wanted to spend it with you because Hideki invited me to meet his family for New Year's," replies Misa a little sheepishly. "I didn't want to miss Noriko's first Christmas, especially since I would be missing New Year's with you all, that's why I was so insistent on some things."

"Like the picture," says Light, understanding her thinking now. She wanted to compensate for not being here for the holiday by making this one more special as a way of making it up to them and Noriko.

"Merry Christmas," says Watari, raising his mug of hot chocolate.

Misa, Light, and L all raise their mugs as well. "Merry Christmas."


	18. Chapter 18

**New Year's**

"Happy New Year's Eve, Mom!" says Light when she opens the door, his arms laden down with shiny packages, L stands behind him with Noriko in his arms.

"Oh Light! Ryūzaki! It's so good to see you!" says Sachiko happily, the two of them plus Noriko are standing on the front porch, bundled up against the cold night. The first thing Sachiko does once she closes the door behind them is taking Noriko from L's arms, the detective looks at his daughter who looks back at him with wide eyes. He nods and he sees her relax in Sachiko's arms.

"How's my beautiful granddaughter?" she asks as she removes Noriko's jacket and hat. "Are you excited about your first New Year's?"

Noriko babbles excitedly, patting on Sachiko's hands as they work to remove her winter wear, she tugs on Sachiko's watch and pulls on her fingers as if this is a game. Sachiko simply chuckles as she brings Noriko into the living room, leaving Light and L alone in the _genken_ to continue removing their winter clothes.

"Why doesn't Nori trust my mom?" asks Light in a low voice, he had seen the way Noriko looked to L when his mother took her from him.

"You misunderstand," replies L as he unwinds his scarf. "She trusts Sachiko, what she didn't trust was the fact we were staying. She probably thought that we were leaving."

"I see," says Light as he takes off his snow boots. "Our daughter is far more perceptive than most babies, I believe."

"Yes, I believe you're right," says L as they finish with their winter clothes and both of them grab some of the packages.

Together they head into the living room, where Soichiro is sitting in his armchair with Noriko on his lap, Sayu is sitting close to the television with the pop music festival on while Sachiko is in the kitchen preparing dinner. They put the presents under the small tree in the living room then Light goes to sit down on the couch beside Sayu and L assumes his usual crouch beside Light and he looks over at Noriko who is staring at him with a small smile.

"Papa!" says Noriko, waving her arms at L. "Papa! Papa!"

"I see she's figured out what to call you," says Soichiro fondly as he smiles at his granddaughter. "How have you been, Ryūzaki?"

"I've been well, Chief Yagami," replies L formally. "And yourself?"

"Fine as well," says Soichiro as he bounces Noriko on his knee. "I'm glad you three could join us this evening. Where's Watari?"

"Taking a well deserved vacation," says Light as he drapes his arm casually over L's hunched shoulders. "As a Christmas present, Ryūzaki and I gave him an all expenses paid vacation to Bruges, he always said he found that place incredibly relaxing."

"I hope you gave us a vacation too, Light," says Sayu, her eyes still glued to the television.

Light rolls his eyes. "Sayu, you haven't done nearly enough work to justify a vacation, besides you still have school."

Sayu huffs. "Whatever, Light." She then lets out a high-pitched squeal. "It's Misa!"

All eyes turned to the screen, watching as Misa made her way across the stage wearing a pretty purple kimono, Hideki Ryūga walking right up beside her in a purple outfit as well. They wave at the crowd, who cheer wildly for them and then Hideki gets down on one knee, causing the crowd to cheer even harder.

" _Misa,_ " says Hideki as he takes her left hand. " _I've loved you from the moment we met, and I will continue to love you long after now. I can't imagine my life without you and so I ask you, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?_ "

There is a pause as the camera moves in, all eyes are on the couple and then Misa nods, tears running down her cheeks as the crowd erupts with applause and cheers. Hideki stands back up and Misa throws herself into his arms, the two of them embracing before the host comes over to them, smiling as she tries to get them to break apart so she can interview them. Light realizes that the host is an old girlfriend of his, Kiyomi Takada.

" _This year has been a year of firsts,_ " says Kiyomi with a false smile. " _And now we've just witnessed one! Never before has a pop star proposed to another on this show, a truly lovely moment to behold. We at NHN wish Misa Amane and Hideki Ryūga a life of prosperity and happiness. On with the show._ "

"Well, that was fast," mutters L as he watches Misa and Hideki holding onto each other. "I have to say, I didn't expect him to propose so suddenly."

Light nods. "I agree with you, personally I think they should have dated longer."

Sayu makes a disapproving noise. "You two can't really talk. Didn't Ryūzaki ask Light on a date and Light came back engaged?"

L and Light look at each other in disbelief.

"That's different, Sayu," says Light slowly although he is not sure how to respond to his sister's decent argument. "Ryūzaki and I worked with each other closely long before we got engaged or married, Misa and Hideki have only recently gotten back together."

Sayu glares harshly. "They dated each other for at least a year, they knew each other fairly well so it makes sense that he'd want to get engaged so soon after rekindling their relationship."

Light gives her a skeptical look. "Sayu, that's not how things work."

L clears his throat softly. "I would like to point out that that's how you and began our marriage, in a rekindled relationship of sorts."

Light is about to speak when his mother interjects. "Dinner's ready!"

Everyone decides to leave the argument for another time and they head to the dinner table where there is a large spread of delectable food. Light and L sit beside each other across from Sachiko and Sayu, Noriko sits between them in a highchair while Soichiro sits at the head of the table.

"This looks incredible, Mom," says Light as he accepts a bowl from Soichiro. "Thank you so much."

Sachiko smiles as she pours them each a glass of water. "You're so sweet, Light. So, what did you do for Christmas?"

"Noriko had her picture taken with Santa Claus," replies L as he gets a serving of the specially glazed pineapple Sachiko had made just for him.

"After some persuasion," mutters Light as he passes the bowl of rice to Sayu. "And Watari and Misa made some cookies, among other sweets, and we decorated our Christmas tree. We exchanged some presents and Noriko was more interested in her boxes more than the gifts inside."

Sayu laughs. "I wish you had recorded that, it would've been adorable!"

"She'll likely recreate the moment tomorrow when she opens the presents from you," says L between bites of pineapple. "How did your final exams go, Sayu?"

"Fine," sighs Sayu as she mixes some chicken in with her rice. "I wish I had your brains, Light, then I wouldn't have to study as hard." She mixes in some sauce. "And I'd definitely know I had passed."

Light smiles kindly at his little sister. "You're smart in your own right, Sayu, don't measure yourself to me. Intelligence is more subjective than anything, it's different in every person."

"Says the Freshman Representative," huffs Sayu. "I bet even Noriko's smarter than me."

"You're probably right," says L as he takes a bite of pineapple.

"Ryūzaki!" scolds Light and Soichiro in unison.

"What?" asks L around his mouthful. "There's not reason for all of you to speak in unison."

Light rolls his eyes. "That was hardly a tactful comment."

"I was going for an honest one," replies L as he looks at Sayu. "I don't see a reason in lying to people once they've come to a reasonable conclusion. I am sorry if I offended you, Sayu, it was not my intention."

Sayu waves him off. "Don't worry about it, I'm used to how you say things, Ryūzaki. I find your blunt way of answering very refreshing compared to the way people normally sugar coat things."

"Are you saying we sugar coat, Sayu?" asks Soichiro with a cocked eyebrow.

"Umm, no, maybe not?" says Sayu lamely.

Everyone laughs and the meal continues with far more pleasant conversation, which then leads to discussions about Hideki's possible involvement in Noriko's life and upbringing. This topic makes L and Light both bristle, as neither of them is overly fond of the idea of Noriko having a third father in her life, stepfather or not. Silently they both agreed to discuss the issue later on, when Misa had returned and their emotions were not running so high. By the time their meal concludes, Noriko is already asleep in her highchair, and Soichiro takes it upon himself to take her from the table back to the chair with him.

Light and L then clear off the table despite Sachiko's protests, and then help her serve dessert, which turns out to be strawberry cake with whipped cream frosting and a cheerful looking Santa Claus on top. Light has to practically hold L down while his mother slices the cake, making sure to give L a very large slice and that seems to satisfy his sweet tooth enough to be cooperative. He is even agreeable enough to serve the coffee to those who want some.

"Thank you, Ryūzaki," said Soichiro as he accepts a cup of coffee from his son-in-law, while holding a sleeping Noriko in the crook of his arm. "It's almost midnight, it looks like Nori will be sleeping when we ring it in."

Light smiles at his sleeping daughter. "That's to be expected, she is only four months old after all. I remember Sayu's first New Year's Eve, she didn't even make it this close to midnight, I believe she was asleep by eight."

Sayu sticks out her tongue before taking a bite of cake.

"And I remember yours, Light," says Sachiko as she sits beside her son. "You were almost a year old and were very determined to stay up the whole night."

"That sounds like Light," says L as he licks some frosting from the corner of his mouth.

"He made it to one past midnight before falling asleep," says Sachiko and L laughs while Light scowls behind his cup of coffee. "I think I still have the pictures from that night." She stands up and heads over to the bookcase full of picture albums, selecting one from the year Light was born and brings it back to the sofa, she sits down and flips through the pages until she finds the one she is looking for. "Here it is, I took one of him at midnight and one of him after he fell asleep."

Light and L both crowd around her to look at the picture. In it is a very small Light sitting in a chair wearing a pair of yellow footie pajamas with a noisemaker in his lap, his brown eyes are sparkling as he smiles at the camera, L is struck by how much Noriko resembles Light. The next picture is of the same small boy asleep in the chair, his head on the arm of the chair and a blanket on his body. L glances over at Noriko and then back at the picture, the resemblance is truly uncanny.

"Light and Noriko seem to feel differently on the subject," says L as he resumes a placid gaze at the television, which is now showing the various pop stars competing against each other in different games. "Chief Yagami, might I recommend handing Noriko over to Light? It would be more prudent to do so now than when we are all going to bed."

Soichiro looks at his sleeping granddaughter then at his son, he smiles knowingly and gently passes her over to Light, who holds her snugly in the crook of his arm.

"Sayu, you can open one present now," says Soichiro and his daughter claps her hands before diving straight for the pile of presents.

"This one's from Light and Ryūzaki!" she says as she comes back with a brightly wrapped green present, which she quickly tears into, and when she opens the box her jaw drops. "No way! This dress isn't even in stores yet!" She stands up and holds the red dress up against her body.

"I have some connections in the fashion industry," says L mysteriously. "I know you admire that designer so I asked her to make an exception and give you a dress."

Sayu rushes over to him and hugs him tightly before moving to give Light a kiss on the cheek. "You two are the best! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, Sayu," says Light, stifling a yawn. "Ryūzaki, I think we should give Mom and Dad their present as well."

L nods and pulls an envelope out of his back pocket, then hands it to Sachiko who is a little confused, she slowly opens it and pulls out the contents, giving a startled yelp when she sees what it is.

"Sachiko, what is it?" asks Soichiro, now concerned.

"It's a check," she says, her voice barely composed. "For an obscene amount of money."

Soichiro looks sternly at the two men. "You shouldn't give us money, we don't need it."

Light tries not to roll his eyes. "It's not just money we want to give, it's money that we want you to use. Specifically for upgrading this house to how you've always wanted it. The check is enough to completely remodel the house to your liking, and it's not to be used for anything else."

Sachiko shares a warm look with her husband, the two reaching a silent agreement that no one else understands.

"Thank you," she says as she puts the check back in the envelope. "It's far too generous, but we are grateful to you both. We'll spend the money wisely."

The two men nod and share a smile with each other.

"It's almost midnight!" announces Sayu as she turns up the volume on the television. "The countdown's started."

They all turned to watch the countdown, when it reaches midnight all the celebrities on stage kiss or embrace while the crowd cheers at the ringing in of the New Year. L turns to give Light a kiss but he finds his husband to already be passed out, Noriko still sleeping in his arm, it is a sight that makes L grin despite not being able to kiss his husband.

"Mrs. Yagami, I would recommend documenting this moment," says L as he gestures to Light and Noriko.

Sayu jumps from her spot on the floor and pulls out her phone. "I've got this, Ryūzaki, don't worry." She quickly snaps a few pictures and grins widely. "This is too cute! Light's going to hate me tomorrow for this."

L shakes his head. "No Sayu, I don't think he will."

"Like father, like daughter," chuckles Soichiro. "Happy New Year everyone."

The rest look at him and smile. "Happy New Year."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: This is a Mello/Matt chapter! I know it's been a while, but hopefully I'll have more in the near future. Sorry if it isn't the best! Enjoy!**

* * *

Walking

Mello glares at Matt as he plays with Noriko; incredibly jealous of the undivided attention he is paying to the eight-month-old infant. He will never admit it of course, that would be admitting defeat in the face of his greatest adversary, even his rivalry with Near pales in comparison with how passionately he wants to outshine L's "little star".

"Quit pouting and come play with us," says Matt as he picks Noriko up out of her playpen and puts her at the start of the cardboard maze he had constructed out of some of the leftover boxes from Misa's move. He watches as she begins crawling, making sure to document her travels with his phone's camera.

"You're not playing, you're making her a lab rat," sneers Mello as he watches Noriko navigate the surprisingly intricate maze Matt constructed; they are lucky to be in the backyard and not in the family room like they had been before, otherwise Light would be incredibly angry at the mess.

"I'm actually doing something L told me to do," says Matt as he moves around the outside of the maze, filming Noriko's progress. "He wanted some footage of Noriko crawling and some indication that her intellect is growing; this maze kills two birds with one stone."

Mello merely rolls his eyes. "I can't believe we were called in to babysit Yagami's brat, this is such a waste of our time and intellect. We should be in Greece with L and Near, not here."

"Mello, you know we're at L's disposal," says Matt evenly. "Whatever he needs us to do, we do. It's that simple."

"But babysitting wasn't part of that," counters Mello bitterly.

"L never thought it'd be necessary," reasons Matt as he continues to follow Noriko as she moves through the maze. She is much faster than he thought she would be. "Mells, you need to relax, we're here until Light gets back from Okinawa so get used to it."

"Babies are so pointless!" rages Mello, ignoring what Matt had said. "They do nothing except take up precious time and brain power. Look at L; he's turned into some kind of simpering emotional idiot because of that kid. Yagami's the same way too, neither one of them acts like a normal person. I never want to have a kid, never."

There is no response from Matt, instead he finishes filming Noriko, puts his phone in his pocket then picks up the infant before she has a chance to reach the end. He then trudges back to the house, leaving Mello standing there utterly bewildered and confused. The blonde follows his boyfriend into the house only to find him heading for the front door, Noriko's bag over his shoulder and the baby in tow.

"Matt, what are you doing?" asks Mello, keeping the worry out of his voice.

"Going out," replies Matt vaguely as he gets the stroller out of the nearby closet, after he unfolds it he puts Noriko in it.

"Mat-tea, Mat-tea!" chants Noriko as he buckles her in.

Matt smiles. "That's right, you're going on an adventure with your favorite brother, sweetie pie. We're leaving the sour puss at home."

Noriko looks over at Mello then smiles and waves. "Bye-bye, Puss!"

Mello's face flushes red and Matt has to keep himself from bursting out laughing.

"Nori, that's not nice," Matt manages to say but his wicked grin does not give any authority to his words. "Don't make him madder than he already is, otherwise he'll throw a tantrum."

Noriko nods and Mello scowls.

"I wasn't throwing a tantrum," snaps Mello, barely keeping his temper from getting the better of him. "I was just going on a tirade about why I don't want kids."

"Yes Mello, I heard," says Matt softly as he opens the front door. "We'll be back later."

Mello takes a few steps forward. "Where are you going?"

"Out," says Matt shortly, an indication to Mello that he is very upset about something. He moves Noriko and her stroller through the front door and turns back to close the door.

"Matty, what's wrong?" asks Mello gently, using a soft tone he reserves for Matt.

"You're smart, you figure it out," snaps Matt as he slams the door shut.

Mello is too stunned to move. He has never seen Matt this upset before, usually if he is angry or upset he just runs to his room to smoke a pack of cigarettes and play his handheld, never has this happened. Of course, Mello blames that change on Noriko. Everything was fine until she came along, everyone was normal and no one made a big deal over every stupid milestone that any person could achieve. He hates that Noriko was ever born; to him, she has ruined everything.

"Stupid brat," he mutters as he storms upstairs to the room he and Matt are sharing. He slams the door behind him before diving onto the half-made bed, once situated he reaches for his bag at the side of the bed and pulls out a foot long, orange and chocolate bar he brought with him just in case he and Matt had a fight, which he knew would happen sooner or later. He had just not expected it to be this soon into their trip. Mello tears off the top wrapper and pushes it down until four inches of the bar is exposed then begins nibbling, using his teeth to scratch away slowly at the confection. He uses this time to think about what could have possibly upset Matt in such a short amount of time; all Matt had been doing was playing with the baby outside in that maze.

' _I was there too but I didn't do anything,'_ he thinks as he continues to scrape at the chocolate with his teeth. Then his little tirade comes back to the forefront of his mind. _'Okay, there was that too but that shouldn't have upset him, I do that sort of thing all the time. Unless he . . .'_ Mello bites into the chocolate bar. _'He wants kids someday.'_ The realization hits Mello like a freight train, not in the years they have been together, platonically or romantically, has Matt ever brought up the subject of children; Mello just assumed he did not want any because that was the feeling of the majority. Almost all of the kids at Wammy's had been abandoned by their parents and most did not want any kids themselves when they got older; Mello and Near are both part of that group.

"I'm such an idiot," sighs Mello after he finishes his bite of chocolate. Of course Matt would be different, his circumstances had always been different. His parents had died when he was about eight-years-old and he had been left to Wammy's rather than being picked up by Watari since his parents were associates of Watari. Mello kicks himself for not realizing this sooner.

* * *

"Is there anything I can help you with?" asks the female sales clerk as Matt looks at the cover of a game case. He glances over and sees the petite woman standing beside him, she has short black hair and a wide false smile, the nametag on her blue apron says, 'Yuri'.

"No thanks, just browsing," he replies before putting the case back on the shelf, having played the game thirty times already. He just likes looking at the artwork on the cover.

"All right, sir," says Yuri and then she spots Noriko. "She's so cute! Is she yours?"

Matt looks confused for a moment then realizes what she is talking about and he smiles as he looks at Noriko. "Sort of, she's my baby sister."

Yuri's false smile then turns genuine. "She looks so happy! She must like spending time with her big brother."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," says Matt with a shrug. "She's always smiling so it's hard to tell."

"You're so lucky to have a cute baby sister," gushes Yuri as she leans down to look at Noriko from a better angle. "Can I hold her?"

Matt looks at Noriko who is already shaking her head, he nods at her. "Sorry but I'd rather you didn't, she's due for a nap and I don't need her getting too excited."

Noriko glares at him and he just shrugs.

Yuri stands back up, obviously disappointed. "Well, that's too bad. Anyway, is there anything I can help you with? I'd be more than happy to show you some of the new games that just arrived this morning."

Now Matt is not stupid, he knows she is just being nice to try and find an opportunity to hold Noriko but he cannot resist seeing if this store has anything half-way decent that he has yet to play. "Sure, that'd be great!" he says excitedly, trying to sound like a normal gamer.

"Great!" echoes Yuri and she begins walking towards a door nearby.

"Mello is so wrong about you," Matt whispers to Noriko as he pushes the stroller towards the door.

* * *

The loud clapping of thunder overhead startles Mello awake, he looks around the room expecting to find Matt gaming beside him but then he remembers that Matt is out with Noriko and he is all alone. Then there is a roar of heavy rain and he jumps out of bed and looks out of the window, he sees Matt's cardboard maze getting soaked by the water and he races as fast as he can downstairs. He throws open the back door and continues running towards the maze, determined to save Matt's work before the rain can destroy it completely. He is not sure why he feels compelled to save something Matt could always redo but he does not stop to think about it.

Just as Mello heads outside, the front door opens and Matt comes rushing in with Noriko and his bag of games in his arms, having abandoned the stroller on the front porch for the moment so he could get in and get dry before he ventured back out. He places Noriko and his bag on the floor, completely aware that she is now mobile but that does not stop him, he trusts her not to get herself hurt while he folds up the stroller.

"Don't do anything stupid," says Matt sternly to Noriko, repeating the words L always tells the heirs when they are left alone for any given amount of time.

Noriko nods and sits in her spot as Matt heads back outside, she turns her attention to the water dripping off of her and onto the floor, she splashes the tiny puddles with her chubby hands and giggles at the sound of the wet slap against hardwood. She then crawls a little to her right giving herself a perfect view of the sliding glass doors to the backyard and promptly sits down, she then looks up just in time to see Mello fall on his back in the grass outside.

"Mellz!" she cries and then stands up, taking several confident steps towards the end of the _genkan_ , then sitting down to slide down the small stair before resuming her quick pace. Up until this point, she has never walked before. When she reaches the back door, she stands straight up beside it and begins pounding on the glass calling for Matt and Mello over and over again, tears running down her face as she watches Mello try to get up only to keep slipping in the mud and on the wet grass.

Matt enters the house and hears Noriko crying and shouting, he looks at the spot she had been sitting at and then runs as fast as he can to where her voice is coming from. When he arrives at the backdoor, it barely registers in his mind that she is standing straight up and that she likely walked there, as all of his attention is focused on the muddy and wet Mello struggling to bring in his now destroyed cardboard maze but continues to slip and fall. Matt bends down and picks up Noriko, putting her on the couch in the family room before he rushes outside. The rain is almost blinding in its intensity but he is wearing his goggles so he can see a little better than he would have otherwise; he sees Mello almost immediately and hurries to his side and pulls him back up, he then wipes away some of the mud on Mello's face.

"I'm sorry, Matt," says Mello miserably, his voice almost drowned out by the torrential rain.

"Tell me later!" he says before pulling on Mello only to be stopped as Mello leans down to pick up the maze again. "Leave it!"

He can tell by the look on his face that he does not want to leave it but Matt is in no mood to humor him, he pulls him hard towards the house and Mello lets go of the maze and follows behind him. They stumble the rest of the way to the back porch and when they are under the awning, Matt punches Mello hard in the shoulder.

"What was that for?!" demands Mello as he rubs the spot where Matt hit him.

Matt lets out a huff as he pushes his soaking hair out of his eyes and lifts up his goggles. "That was for being an idiot! What were you thinking, Mihael?"

' _Real name, I'm in trouble,'_ thinks Mello as he wipes some mud away from his mouth. "It's ruined, isn't it Mail?" he asks softly.

Matt is taken aback by the use of his real name but he quickly recovers. "What are you talking about? It's just cardboard, I can always build another one."

"I'm not talking about the maze," Mello whispers but Matt can hear him clearly. "I'm talking about what it represents."

Matt sighs softly and closes the distance between them, putting his arms around Mello's shoulders. "We're fine, Mells, don't worry."

Mello shakes his head. "No we're not, Matt. We aren't fine until we resolve this between us."

"Mat-tea!" says Noriko loudly as she walks up to them and Matt reluctantly pulls away from Mello in order to pick her up.

Mello watches Matt's easy interaction with Noriko and he envies him, he wishes he could be nicer to babies and happier to be around them. "Is she walking now?" he asks casually although he has to try very hard to keep his surprise in check.

"Yeah, I found her at the door crying for you," says Matt as he stands back up with Noriko. She then lunges for Mello and Matt has to tighten his hold. "I think she saw you in the backyard and wanted to help. It looks like her first steps were for you, Mello."

"Mellz!" says Noriko as she again tries to reach for Mello. "Mellz, hold!"

Mello stares completely dumbfounded at Noriko and holds his arms out limply, Matt moves Noriko between them and he wraps his arms around her as lightly as he can, a little afraid to be holding her; so far he has never held her, not that he actually tried but he feels compelled to comply since Noriko asked for him herself. She in turn wraps her arms around his neck and seems to hug him, his arms tighten around her and he feels tears welling up in his eyes although he quickly closes his eyes in order to get rid of them. He then feels two arms envelop him and he opens his eyes to see Matt smiling gently at him and something inside of him recognizes how right this feels.

"Mail, I've changed my mind," he says affectionately. "I want to have kids . . . with you."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: So this will be the final entry in Noriko's first year. The story will say, 'complete' but I will add chapters from time to time if I have any inspiration. Let me know what you all think of this chapter, I wrote it pretty late instead of sleeping so I do apologize for any nonsense. Just let me know. Enjoy!**

* * *

First Birthday

" _My baby's turning one today, ta-dum, ta-dum,_ " sings Misa as she stuffs pink and white tissue paper in little boxes, the paper matches the rest of the decorations thrown on every square inch that would stand still, " _my baby's turning one today, ta-dum ta-dee. My baby's turning one today and L will turn thirty-three then drown himself in ice cream and we'll all go marching down, underground, to put on a parade._ "

"Those lyrics don't make any sense, Misa," says L as he comes in with Noriko on his hip, the little birthday girl dressed in a glittery yellow dress with a matching bow headband. "I'm not turning thirty-three today, and you can't march underground to put on a parade."

"That's what concerns you?" asks Light incredulously from the kitchen. "She just sang about you drowning in ice cream, doesn't that frighten you just a little?"

L shrugs. "Not really, it's actually one of the seven hundred and eighty six ways I've imagined myself dying."

Misa stares at him with a mix of fear and intrigue while Light comes running out of the kitchen, piping bag in hand and glares at him. The silence stretches out for almost a full minute.

"How many of those involve dying by sweets?" asks Misa at last, a twinkle in her brown eyes.

"Five hundred and seventeen," replies L and she bursts out laughing while the tension in Light's posture only seems to increase. "Light, you're going to waste all of that frosting if you don't stop squeezing it like that."

That breaks the trance and Light looks at the bag, light green frosting has gathered on his hand and is slowly dripping down. He rushes back into the kitchen and puts the bag on the counter beside the birthday cake he has been meticulously working on since early this morning. Light heads to the sink and meticulously washes the icing from his hand, his mind still buzzing with L's words about how many ways he has imagined himself dying. He knows perfectly well what he tried to do when he was in possession of the Death Note and hearing that his husband has numerous ideas of his death upsets him. If five hundred and seventeen involve death by sweets, how many of those involve Light shoving the sweets down his throat or poisoning them or simply pushing his face in a bowl of ice cream and drowning him like Misa said? What about the other two hundred and sixty nine ways? Were those all about how Light would kill him?

"You're going to rub a layer of skin off if you keep that up, Light," says L, shaking him from his thoughts and he looks down to see his hands soaking wet with water and soap, red from his scrubbing with the nailbrush.

"Thanks," he mutters as he turns off the water and reaches for a nearby towel. "And don't you dare go near that cake. I don't have the time to redo anything you might decide to test for 'quality assurance.'"

The last time there had been a birthday, or any occasion for cake in the recent months, L had snuck up and began eating it while no one was looking. Whenever he was caught, he would say he was testing it for quality assurance before leaving the room with frosting all over his mouth and fingers, which he then proceeded to share with Noriko. The child is quickly developing a sweet tooth and she only has seven teeth to begin with.

"I would do no such thing to our daughter's cake," says L a little defensively, as if appalled at the idea of doing something so horrific to his child. "Besides, it would ruin your lovely work."

"You had no trouble ruining Misa's work when she made me my birthday cake," says Light as he picks up the bag and moves back to the small cake for Noriko. At Misa's insistence they had made two cakes, a sheet cake for the adults and a personal cake for Noriko to enjoy all to herself, both decorated in a similar design. Personally, Light is glad to have the two cakes, whenever he had attended these kinds of parties in the past for his parents' friends he was always disgusted whenever he was served a piece of cake that had been smashed and picked on by a baby. It did not make any sense to him why no one had thought of this sooner.

"Well, that was for different reasons," mumbles L as he moves out of Light's way. "Are you almost finished?"

"Maybe," replies Light briskly. He is not in the mood to deal with L and his incessant cravings for all things sugar, which just makes him think more about that list. "I'm sure death by cake is on that list you mentioned."

"As a matter of fact it is," says L, an eerie feeling settling over him that is vaguely reminiscent of when he feared Light would kill him during the time he was Kira. "It's number seventy two."

Light lets out a sharp breath as he tries to steady his shaking hand. "Is it that high because you're constantly eating it?"

"Naturally," says L as he takes a step back, his grip on Noriko tightening. "I'm going to see if Watari needs any help with the decorations."

"No L, you're going to stay right there," says Light flatly as he finishes with a flower stem and puts the bag on the counter. He straightens up and turns to look at his husband, not missing for a second the glimmer of fear in his nearly black eyes. "What are you afraid of?"

"You," says L sternly, his arms wrapping protectively around his daughter. "You're looking at me like you did before, Light, like you want to . . . to kill me."

Light's eyes go wide and he has take a few breaths just to make sure that he can still breathe. Did he really look like Kira again? Why was this happening now? _'Because you were thinking of L dying,'_ his mind replies and he takes a step away from L and Noriko.

"Noriko and I are going outside," says L in a rather stern and clipped tone. "You may come out when you're feeling sensible again."

Light watches as they leave, L's harsh tone ringing in his ears and the fear in his eyes lingering in his memory. Of all the days for something like this to happen, why did it have to be on Noriko's first birthday? Why could this have not waited until the day after or next year or never for that matter? Why is this always plaguing him?

"Why won't he let me give up possession?" whimpers Light as he leans against the counter, a hand covering his face. "I know I would still love him even without my memories but . . . but why?"

"Because you must still be punished for your crimes," says a harsh voice and he looks through his fingers to see Watari standing in the doorway. The older gentleman is wearing rather informal clothes for him, a light yellow polo shirt, tan khakis, and grey, cloth boat shoes. "You're still a criminal Light, no matter how much times passes."

"I didn't hurt them," says Light firmly, moving his hand away from his face. "And I never will hurt them. I love them too much."

Watari did not seem convinced but he nodded. "Fine, now finish up Noriko's birthday cake. The guests should be here soon."

And with that, L's father figure left the kitchen and Light returned to the task at hand. His hands shook as he resumed making flowers on the snowy white frosting of Noriko's cake but he ignored it as he focused on at least getting through this day as Light.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Nori!" shouts Sayu and Koji a few hours later when they enter the house, followed by their families and the other families that had members previously on the Task Force.

Noriko claps excitedly when she sees them and immediately tries to break free of L's grip, only to have him hold her steadfast. "Papa, Sayu! Papa, Koji!"

"Yes, little star I see them," says L fondly, kissing his daughter's cheek. "Everyone, please proceed to the backyard where Watari is making barbeque and Misa is handing out drinks."

"And leave your presents in the living room," says Light as he makes his entrance down the stairs, wearing a red T-shirt and dark blue jeans, looking every inch the father he did not often portray. L has to look away.

Noriko's eyes light up and she begins struggling mightily against L's arms. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

Light smiles sweetly at his daughter as he comes to stand beside her and L. "Aren't you excited to see Daddy? I can take her Ryūzaki, you've been holding her all morning."

L opens his mouth to refuse but with everyone standing there, watching their interaction, he feels incredibly pressured to give into Light's request. Reluctantly, he hands over Noriko but not before giving Light the ugliest look he ever has. "Alright, just make sure she doesn't get her dress dirty, Misa would have a complete breakdown if she did." It does not go unnoticed by him the way Noriko wraps her arms around Light's neck and snuggles up against him, like he is her protector.

"I'll be careful," says Light stiffly, not missing the look his husband gave him. "Please everyone, head on out, I can assure that Watari's cooking is some of the best."

Everyone lets out a light chuckle before proceeding to the backyard, only Sayu and Koji remain behind with L and Light, the two of them bouncing on their heels to be around Noriko a little longer.

"Can I hold her, Light?" asks Sayu desperately. "Someone else always has her and I never do."

"No, let me, Uncle Light!" shouts Koji, now five years old and full of personality. "I want to hold Noriko."

Light does not want to relinquish his daughter, not that he finally has a chance to hold her after L playing keep away since that morning. He does not get the chance to object.

"Of course you can, Sayu," says L kindly, sounding like a snake charmer addressing a snake. "You've always been a wonderful aunt to her."

Sayu blushes at L and then looks at Light eagerly, who looks less than thrilled at the prospect but he relents, passing his daughter to his sister.

"Same rules apply, no dirt or anything else that might ruin that dress," warns L and Sayu nods vigorously.

"Where did you get such a pretty dress, Noriko?" asks Sayu as she cuddles the birthday girl, who seems pleased to be held by her aunt.

"Misa's fiancé, he couldn't be here so he sent that as an early birthday present," replies Light before he thinks his response all the way through and Sayu simply squeals with delight.

"Hideki Ryuga got her this?!" she exclaims and if it is possibly, holds Noriko even closer. "Oh Nori, you're so lucky to have famous movie stars for parents."

Light and L both give her an irritated look.

"Hideki Ryuga and Misa are not Noriko's parents, Light and I are," says L although he does not sound happy to have to add that last part. "Now please, go outside before we decide that Matsuda is a better person to watch Noriko than you are."

Sayu's eyes go wide and she and Koji dash out of the house, leaving the two men in the entryway, both making it a point not to look at the other. This fighting is killing them.

"We should probably go outside," says L at last. "It would be rude to neglect our guests."

Light nods, knowing that if they want to keep up the charade they would have to at least get along for the next few hours and seem like they had some semblance of decency. "Agreed."

L leaves his side before he has a chance to say anything else. Light stands there for a few moments, wondering what he can possibly do to make amends with his husband; he is perfectly aware of the fact that it will definitely take some time before he is able to completely win back L's trust, something he is starting to think he does not have as wholly as he originally thought. It pains him to admit it, especially to himself, but L may have good reason to only give him so much trust and it is glaringly obvious after all of this. So, drawing a deep breath he heads for the backyard, wondering if his marriage will survive the party.

When he steps outside, he sees his friends and family sitting on chairs and already eating, Watari is at the grill making freshly grilled steaks and chicken breasts to go alongside the many side dishes he and Misa cooked up the night before. He stands on the deck and looks out; he spots his family sitting under the trees with Matsuda and his family, Aizawa and Mogi are sitting closeby with their families, kids are running around and playing with the lawn games L had purchased for the boys when they first moved in here, Misa is bouncing between groups with a wide smile on her face and a fresh drink for anyone who even looks a little thirsty, L is sitting near to Watari and Sayu is running around with Noriko who is laughing for the whole world to hear. Any other day this would have brought joy and contentment to Light but today, all he sees is an empty backyard, an empty house, and an empty bed. He never even thought of what will happen if he and L divorced, the house is in his husband's name not his so that would be sold off, Noriko is not L's biological child and he has yet to adopt her so she would come with Light, and he would lose everything if L should ever leave him.

"Is something troubling you, son?" asks Soichiro, startling Light whom had not even seen his father walking up to him.

Light looks at him then looks away. "Yeah."

Soichiro's smile dims just slightly and he puts his hand on Light's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Ryūzaki and I are fighting," replies Light softly. "And I think this might be the end."

"Is this about something in your past?" asks Soichiro just as softly and Light nods, much to his dismay. "Why is it affecting you now?"

Light shrugs and tries to come up with something to tell him; after all, he cannot tell his dad that he momentarily thought of killing his husband because at one point in his life he had been a mass murderer bent on taking down L. That would lead to too many pitfalls. "I don't think he trusts me and probably never will."

"And what led you to believe that?" his father asks, trying not to pry to deeply into his son's marriage.

"Some of the things he's said," replies Light honestly. In the past, before Noriko, L made several comments about his trust in Light and he had a feeling he had kept many things secret from Light because of his past. The thought made Light's insides burn. "And the way he acts at times." He looks down at the deck. "I don't know why he wanted to marry me."

Soichiro does not have the answers and it pains him to watch his child suffer when he would give anything to be able to take that pain away. He pulls his son into an embrace and holds him tightly, like he did when Light was younger and needed someone to chase away his nightmares. "You need to talk to him, even if it's just to say good-bye. He deserves that much."

"What about Nori?" Light mutters as he returns his dad's gesture.

"Don't worry about that now," says Soichiro gently. "These things tend to sort themselves out in time, so just try to focus on this right now. I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do because I know you've already thought up a plan."

"Everyone, it's time for Noriko's birthday cake!" announces Misa just as Light and his father break apart from each other. "Light, go inside and get her cake! Ryūzaki and I will get her ready."

"Will do," says Light in a falsely cheery tone that sounds hollow even to him, if anyone else notices they do not let on and he heads inside. He finds Noriko's cake just where he left it and feels a pang deep in his chest, this may be the last birthday she has with her entire family and this might be the last time he spends a significant day with L . . .

He shakes his head and collects the cake, taking the twenty steps necessary to reach the backyard. Twenty. The age he was when L proposed. Why is this coming forward now? _'Because you love him,'_ replies his mind and he wants nothing more than to call this whole party off so he and L can plainly speak about their marriage and their future together. Instead he steels his heart and smiles to the crowd as he brings out his daughter's birthday cake. He sees Noriko in her highchair, now changed into a white onesie and smiling happily at the people around her, Misa and L are beside the chair both looking pleased but Light can sense the falseness in L's behavior. He has gone back to simply acting, just as Light has.

"Daddy!" shouts Noriko when she sees Light and his heart softens as he puts the cake on the tray on her highchair. She looks down at the cake and then looks back up at him, pointing at the flowers and writing. "Daddy did that?"

"Yes, I did," says Light before leaning down and kissing the top of her head. She has grown and changed so much of the last year it is almost hard to believe that she had been so small and helpless. He remembers her birth with perfect clarity and it scares him to remember that uncertainty and whether or not she was going to live or die. But she had lived. She had lived because of L's quick thinking and care. He looks at the man and finds him already staring at him, his gaze not as harsh and his expression much less severe. Light can tell they are thinking about the same thing. It took them both to get Noriko to this point, because without Light's genetics and L's concern, this moment would not be happening.

"Cake!" shouts Noriko before she smashes her hand in the cake, laughing with childish delight at the way it feels in her hand before she extends it to L. "Papa! Papa, help me eat!"

L looks away from Light and down at his daughter, smiling at her outstretched hand covered in Light's carefully done icing flowers. He leans down and puts her fingers in his mouth, sucking the frosting off of them, she laughs when his tongue brushes her fingertips and then she pulls her hand out. L is a little disappointed and then laughs when she sticks her hand further into the cake, coming up with a chunk of it, looking like she has just pulled a piece of gold out of the ground. With a wide grin, she shoves the piece in her mouth, getting most of it around her mouth than in it but no one can fault her for trying or her enthusiasm.

"I would say she likes it," laughs Light despite himself. "She definitely has your sweet tooth, Ryūzaki, she didn't even give us a chance to sing."

"And your sense of practicality," says L, watching as Noriko decides to skip using her hands and places her mouth on the edge of the cake. "How much of this should we let her eat?"

"Not this much!" shouts a horrified Misa, she had not been expecting Noriko to be so enthusiastic about eating cake; she had been hoping she would take dainty bites or not dig into it entirely. She gently moves Noriko away from the cake and takes it away, despite the protests of both baby and papa. "She doesn't need this much sugar, she'll get a stomachache or worse."

"Isa mean!" cries Noriko, pointing a finger accusingly at her mother. "Give back cake!"

Misa pretends not to notice and instead goes back into the house with the cake, tossing her hair as she walks; many people are confused as to what has just happened, except one person. One is a very angry birthday girl who looks ready to tear apart the world unless she gets her cake back. L is the first to spot the tantrum about to erupt so he quickly picks her up and holds her, not even caring for a second that she is covered in frosting. She tries to squirm out of his arms and cries when he does not let her go, so in response, he slips her under his shirt; he has come to find over the past year that she calms down considerably whenever she is given skin-to-skin contact. This time is no different and it does indeed abate her brewing temper.

"How is she?" asks Light as he comes over and looks through L's neck hole at Noriko, whom is busy pressing her frosting covered hands on L's chest, smearing it together. He remembers doing this exactly a year ago and it makes him want to hold L close and never let him go, he restrains himself admirably.

L looks down at her as well. "Better now, she always is when I put her under my shirt."

' _I always feel better against your chest too,'_ thinks Light wistfully, recalling a night when they were first married and he had had a particularly bad day at work, and he went straight for their bedroom without so much as a passing glance. L, who was miraculously home at the time, had followed him in there and while Light was busy moping on the bed, had stripped off his shirt and climbed in beside him, then pulled a very unwilling Light against his chest and simply held him until he relaxed and told him about his day. Ever since then, being against L's chest had been a source of comfort for Light and right now, he wants to be snuggled up in there with Noriko.

"I suppose we should do presents," suggests Sayu helpfully, breaking the brewing tension and confusion of the moment. "Light, is she opening them inside or out here?"

Light blinks in confusion, he had not given much thought to it, he had assumed once Noriko was done with her cake she would be cleaned up and given her presents wherever she happened to be at the moment. Noriko is not cleaned up nor is she ready to be done with her cake.

"I can take her and clean her up," offers Sachiko, moving towards her granddaughter and son-in-law. "Then we can do presents inside, if everyone is amenable."

"That sounds great, Mom," says Light before he attempts to untangle Noriko from L's shirt. The girl thrashes and moves out of Light's grasp, crying when he does manage to get hold of her so he gives up.

L smirks. "I guess I will be accompanying her to her bath. Do you mind terribly, Mrs. Yagami?"

Sachiko shakes her head. "Not at all, Ryūzaki, she is your child after all. We'll be right back."

The two of them plus Noriko then head back into the house and Light is quick to usher the guests inside the house.

* * *

Sayu passes Light a large box. "This one's from Mom and Dad and I."

Light smiles as he takes the box and sets it on the floor in front of Noriko, smiling when she begins tearing into the bright paper like she has done this countless times before. It is sweet to witness, even if he has to do the majority of the work when she becomes disenchanted with the whole experience. This time the box holds her interest long enough for both her and Light to remove all of the paper, and she makes a happy noise when she sees the toy that had been hiding under the paper. It is a baby piano, much like the grand one in the front room, and she has enjoyed banging on the keys of late so this really is a perfect gift for her.

"Thank you, Mom, Dad, Sayu," says Light graciously as he moves the box to the pile of unwrapped presents behind him. "She's going to love it when we set it up later."

"Daddy, piana now!" says Noriko forcefully as she stands up and toddles over to the present, only to be grabbed by her father and put on his lap.

"After we finish opening the other presents," says Light firmly, determined to instill some manners into his daughter. "Which one's next?"

It is then that L steps forward, a small tattered bag and card in hand. He kneels down in front of Noriko and hands her the two items. "This is for you, my dear little star. When you're bigger I'll explain its significance fully to you."

Noriko nods and looks at the bag, she lets go of the card and gently pulls out the single piece of tissue paper with such reverence Light wonders if L has already told her the significance of her gift. Light has some idea as to what this may be but he says nothing and watches with rapt attention as she then reaches in and extracts a worn and well-loved stuffed rabbit.

"Love it," says Noriko happily, her brown eyes sparkling like jewels as she holds it with incredible care.

"I'm glad you like it," says L softly before standing back up. "Now, I believe I will go cut up the cake in the kitchen."

Light watches him leave and after placing his daughter on Misa's lap, takes the opportunity to open the card left behind.

 _Noriko,_

 _Today is your first birthday and I could not be happier to be a part of it._

 _I never dreamed of having a family after what happened to mine, to the people who would have been your grandparents. Even calling them that is simultaneously startling and pleasing._

 _My gift to you on this day is the same one I was given when I turned one, a stuffed rabbit. It is the only possession of my past that have I kept and now I give it to you, the second greatest possession in my new life. The first being your father, the man with whom I have built this new family._

 _You will never understand how much we love you, sweet Noriko just know that no matter what happens, we will always love you. You are what made Daddy and Papa a family, before you, we were just two people with too much love between us and not enough people to give it to. You have filled that space in our lives and we will continue to give you all of the love we can._

 _My dearest hope is for you to grow up knowing you came from a family, a loving family if not entirely conventional. Your daddy will be upset at me saying we are not conventional but it is a fact, no matter how you look at it. With us for parents, would you expect otherwise?_

 _When you are bigger and can understand a little more, I will tell you about my childhood and my parents, two people who would have smothered you to death with love as they did me. Until then, treasure Peter and love him as much as I love you._

 _All my love,_

 _Papa_

Without even thinking, Light is on his feet and heading into the kitchen, which is blessedly shielded from view of the living room and finds L standing there with a plate of cake and a fork dangling from his index finger and thumb. L seems to sense his presence and looks up just in time for Light's lips to come crashing against L's, he barely has time to move his cake out of the way of being smashed. He tries to pull away from Light's grip but his husband is too fast and quickly ensures there is no escape. Reluctantly he gives into the kiss, and when he does, Light pulls away.

"I love you," he declares when they part. "L, I love you so much that it hurts, please don't ever leave. Noriko still needs you . . . and so do I." He lets go of L's waist and stares him straight in the eye. "I know you will never trust me completely, no matter how long we're together, but I want you to at least try. And please, get rid of your list of ways you might die, I can't stand the thought of you dying any other way than of simply being too old."

L stares at him blankly for a few moments, this is not what he had expected but he cannot argue with Light's sudden urge to try and resolve this underlying tension in their relationship. "Light, I had no immediate plans on leaving. Yes I was frightened in the kitchen, I caught a very brief glimpse of the you who used to be him but it faded the moment you realized what was happening. If he can go away that quickly, it means he is no longer a true part of you, no matter what you may think otherwise." L grips Light by the shoulders. "I'm not leaving this family, Light Yagami, you and Noriko are the two most important people in my life and without you I have nothing. I will be the first to admit that I have trust issues, particularly with former . . . suspects . . . but do not for a second take that to mean I am not trying to overcome that. I want to trust you Light, with everything, it will just take some time because I have never trusted anyone completely with anything about me. Please try to understand that."

Light nods and then moves to embrace his husband. He suddenly feels silly for thinking that this spat would be the end of their marriage, of course they would be able to talk it out, they had always been able to communicate with one another; even if it did take some teeth pulling to get to the root of the issue. "If you knew I wasn't him when you mentioned it, why did you avoid me?" asks Light curiously.

"I didn't want to take the chance with Noriko," replies L firmly. "I know what his plans are regarding me but I don't know how he'd react to Noriko, so I wanted to keep her safe." He thinks about it for a moment. "I suppose you could say I have an overactive paternal instinct."

"And that's why you're a fantastic father to our daughter," says Light before kissing his husband again, this time with considerably less desperation and L happily reciprocates.

"Daddy? Papa?" asks Noriko as she enters the kitchen, L's stuffed rabbit safely in her grip. "Hug?"

L and Light smile fondly at their daughter and Light kneels down, his arms outstretched and she eagerly walks into them. He holds her close and stands back up, turning around to L who eagerly wraps his own arms around Light and Noriko. L is right in saying they are an unconventional family, it fits right in with their unconventional marriage and livelihoods. They have come so far as a couple and as a family that it astounds them both that they have even made it this far. There is a lot of work to be done on both fronts and it will take some time before they are completely on the same page, but in the end it will be worth it, for they will be together and that is all that matters.


	21. Chapter 21

Wedding

Light and L stand uncomfortably at the back of a church. L is fidgeting with his snow white tie and squeaky white shoes while Light checks his watch repeatedly, tapping his foot impatiently as he waits for the moment this whole ordeal is finally finished. He glances at his husband and sighs before assisting him with the tie; L's fiddling did nothing except make it even tighter around his throat.

"Whoever created these infernal devices will rue the day he ever did," snarls L as Light loosens the piece of fabric. "Why did we agree to do this, Light? I can't stand any of this."

"I know," says Light as he bends down to loosen the laces on L's shoes. "I really didn't expect to spend the day in a Pepto-Bismol colored suit either, but here we are."

"We never should've agreed to do this," huffs L as he wiggles his toes, testing out how much freedom he now possesses. "That's much better, thank you."

Light smirks as he stands back up. "You're welcome." He scrutinizes L's newly slicked back and tame hair, it looks so out of place and strange that he is tempted to find water and a brush and put it back to normal. To think at one point in his life, he wanted L to style his hair like this. "You must be miserable."

"Absolutely," says L with a firm nod. "All I want is to strip naked and run into the nearest body of water. Maybe then I'll feel more like myself."

"I would give my right arm to see that," laughs Light as he puts an arm around L's shoulders, the pink suit emphasizing his typical slouch. "Just remember, it's only for a little while longer, then we can discard the majority of this pink monstrosity."

"You guys look great!" squeals Misa as she enters the small area. She is wearing a rather flamboyant white ball gown, complete with a hoop skirt, glittery tulle and a corset top that seems to have been pulled closed by a machine it looks so tight and uncomfortable but she hardly appears bothered. For once her makeup is understated, her eyes are their normal brown color and her blonde hair is swept up in a cascading bun, with the top of her head adorned with a pearl tiara and long veil that obscures most of her face. Behind her are several women dressed in dark pink dresses that look closer to lingerie than actual bridesmaids dresses. Light is incredibly relieved that Sayu picked out her own dress for the occasion.

Light and L suddenly hear something growling and they look down to see Noriko wearing a bubblegum pink dress very reminiscent of Misa's wedding gown but she is being forced to wear pink fairy wings. Noriko has a death grip on her glittery silver basket of white flower petals and seems ready to use it against the first person to comment on her outfit. Light looks for his sister and finds her looking mournfully at her niece, their eyes meet and Light understands that it had been a battle to get Noriko dressed.

"Oh Nori," says L and Light in unison.

Noriko looks up at her fathers and takes a step back when her eyes land on L; he does not look like her papa. His hair is combed and shiny and his dark circles have been erased from beneath his eyes. L frowns when he sees her move away from him.

Misa, mistaking their words as ones of adoration, positively beams. "I know! She looks so cute! I've never seen a prettier flower girl."

Noriko glares at Misa, the look reminding everyone exactly whom her father is, before turning her eyes to her fathers, silently imploring them to get her out of this situation. L kneels down and pats her head, realizing when he does that she too will need a bath after this whole mess; her hair is pulled into a high ponytail and cemented with gel, hairspray, and glitter. He feels incredibly sorry for his almost three-year-old.

"Do this and I'll get you a puppy," whispers L in her ear and Noriko's expression brightens instantly.

L stands back up and smiles down at his daughter, missing the suspicious look his is giving him. L glances over and gives him an innocent smile, a clear indication that Light needs to be very wary of his husband.

"Here come the groomsmen," says Misa before quickly retreating, likely in an attempt to hide from her future husband.

Everyone looks and sure enough, the groomsmen and groom are entering the back room as well, to L and Light's horror they are wearing stark white suits with dark pink accents to match the bridesmaids. They look down at their suits; the color does not match either side of the wedding party and it becomes very apparent to them that Misa did this deliberately. The two detectives glance at each other, silently promising that they will discover why Misa decided to humiliate them in front of three hundred people.

"You two look great," says Hideki, obviously biting back a smirk.

When they first met, Light and L both immediately disliked him, his arrogance and vanity grating the wrong way on their nerves. Despite how much they disliked him, they could tell he cared deeply for Misa and treated her well, the man seemed indifferent to Noriko but they thought that was better than outright hostility. Noriko, now that she is older, does not seem to care for him as much as she did when she was a baby.

"They'll be the center of attention," says Sayu, stepping forward in her thigh length dress, which seems to be held up by the two thinnest straps ever to be created. Light prays that the skimpy dress she is wearing makes it through the wedding. "And so will Noriko."

Hideki looks down at the little girl and grimaces, probably feeling some sympathy for her situation. "Why is she wearing wings?"

"Misa thought it would be cute," explains Sayu lamely. "She nearly clawed my skin off when I went to put them on her." She extends her arms and on the underside are long red scratches that look closer to coming from a wild animal than a small child.

The four adults look at Noriko. She looks up at them and shrugs.

"I swear I just clipped her nails," sighs Light, shaking his head.

"That child scares me," mutters Hideki.

"And she should," says L, shooting the actor a cold glare. "Is Matsuda with you?"

"Right here, Ryuzaki," says Matsuda as he pushes his way forward through the rest of the groomsmen. He is also wearing a white suit, much to the chagrin of L and Light. When he sees the two of them, he breaks out into a wide grin. "Wow! I love your suits! I wish ours were pink."

Light rolls his eyes. "No you don't."

Matsuda seems to have not heard him. "Was there something you needed, Ryuzaki?"

L shakes his head. "No, I just needed to confirm that Misa was not intending to mock all police officers and detectives. You may return to your spot."

Matsuda does as he is told without argument and returns to the crowd of groomsmen just as the orchestral music beyond the white doors shifts and everyone in the back room stands a little taller. It is show time.

"Look alive everyone," instructs Hideki as he waves his hands and everyone queues up in the order they practiced a couple of days ago at the rehearsal dinner. "Where's Noriko? Oh there she is. Remember, you're walking out with your mom—"

"Misa," corrects Noriko. "She's my Misa not my mom."

"Whatever," says Hideki, rolling his eyes. "You're walking out with her and your parents. Got it?"

"Yes," says Noriko, letting out a slight huff.

The white chapel doors open out onto a crowd of three hundred people, all of who are now looking at the back of the chapel. Hideki smoothens out his suit jacket and gives the crowd a huge smile before he begins walking out. When he is about five feet away from the door, the first pair of bridesmaids and groomsmen begins to walk out. L and Light hang back and watch, they are supposed to escort Misa down the aisle and give her away. Noriko rocks on her heels as she waits for her turn to walk, although she seems less than happy at the prospect.

"Remember our wedding?" asks Light quietly, leaning in a little closer to his husband.

L nods as he shifts. "Of course. We met at the top of the courthouse steps, you were wearing a black suit and ice blue tie, along with an obscene amount of cologne that should have been outlawed."

Light chuckles. "Of course you would remember my offensive aroma. And you were wearing your cleanest pair of blue jeans and a new white shirt, your hair was clean but wild and you stood with less of a slouch than normal."

"And right before the ceremony, your family came sprinting in," continues L, glancing at Sayu as she walks out of the room with a groomsmen. "I felt bad for Soichiro, he looked as if he had run a marathon without any training."

"He kind of did," says Light gently, recalling the moment his family burst into the small room where the courthouse held marriage ceremonies. His father had looked crazed and exhausted but he composed himself enough to ask to speak to Light; in private, he gave his son his blessing to marry L and asked if he could give him away properly. Light never really needed his father's blessing to get married, but it had been something he wanted and to hear his dad say he was glad he was marrying L was something Light would remember for the rest of his life. Having his father give him away had just been the icing on the cake.

"Daddy, it's time," says Noriko, tugging on his pant leg. Light looks down at her and up at the doors, which are now closed in anticipation for Misa's arrival.

"I'll get Misa," says L and he hurries to a small door just a few feet away from where they are standing.

Noriko tosses a few petals on the ground.

"What are you doing?" asks Light, smiling a little at his daughter.

"Practicing," she replies, beaming up at him with a smile that reminds him of Sayu. "Daddy, is you and Papa weddinged?"

"Do you mean are we married?" asks Light, correcting her gently and she nods. "Yes, we are married."

"Do you wear wings?" she asks, her thumb against her lower lip.

Light bends down and moves her thumb away from her mouth. "No, we don't wear rings but I have a watch." He pulls up his sleeve and shows her the gold watch L proposed to him with when he was twenty. It is hard to believe that is five years ago now.

Noriko looks at it carefully. "Does Papa wear one?"

"He doesn't wear anything," replies Light a little forlornly. They had agreed early on that L would not wear anything to indicate that he was married, more as a safety precaution than personal choice. Still, Light wishes he would wear something around the house at least. "But that doesn't mean we aren't married."

"I see," says Noriko as she touches his watch. "Can I has one? Papa said I can has a puppy so can I has a watch, too?"

' _Of course he did. Bastard,'_ thinks Light as he calmly stands up and shakes his head. "No sweetheart, you can't have a watch now. Maybe when you're a little older. As for the puppy, Papa and I will have to discuss that, thoroughly, before we agree."

Noriko huffs and turns away from him, obviously upset at being told the puppy will have to wait but Light hardly cares; it is his husband's fault for promising something he knew Light would object to and it would only serve to disappoint their daughter. Light hears a door opening and out steps Misa in her overstuffed wedding dress, L stands beside her, rolling his eyes as Misa dabs her eyes with a handkerchief.

"I can't believe I'm getting married," she says, her voice thick with emotion. "I always hoped this day would come, but I didn't expect . . . I'm so glad you three are here for me today."

Light gives her a genuine smile as he offers her his arm. "We wouldn't be anywhere else, Misa."

"Except maybe France, like we planned," murmurs L but one quick scowl from Light and he immediately shuts up. He moves to Misa's right and she slips her arm through his just as she did with Light's.

"Okay Noriko, do what Mommy said," says Misa and Noriko approaches the tall doors, much taller than the toddler, and she pounds as hard as she can. Moments later the doors open and the guests rise as the bridal march begins to play.

Noriko steps out first and throws down a fistful of white petals on the pink aisle runner, she takes a few steps and throws down another fistful. Behind her, Light, L, and Misa begin taking small, measured steps down the aisle. Around them cameras and phones flash and sound off as they try to capture the moment that will be plastered on magazines all over the country. While Light and L are not happy that their images will be shown to the world, they knew better than to try and dissuade Hideki and Misa; besides, L can just go in later and delete any photographs containing his family.

When they reach the end of the aisle, Noriko rushes over to Sayu while L and Light stand with Misa in front of the minister. "Who gives this woman away to be married?"

"We do," replies L and Light.

Light then releases Misa's arm and moves to stand in front of her so he can lift her veil, when her face is no longer obscured, he kisses her cheek and she kisses his. L then leans in and kisses her cheek as well and she kisses his, giving both men matching pink lipstick marks on their cheeks. L takes her hand and helps her up the one step in front of them and he gives her hand to Hideki, who nods as he takes it. With their duty done, Light and L take a seat in the two spots saved from them in the front row and they watch as the ceremony begins.

* * *

The reception is as lively as L and Light suspect. More people have shown up than there were at the ceremony, alcohol is flowing like water, and cameras do not stop flashing. The two of them sit at a small table near the rest of the bridal party, obviously set aside for them, and watch as Misa and Hideki greet some of their guests and accept a great many kisses and embraces from their fellow celebrities. It reminds them more of a circus than a wedding.

"I thought Misa said this would be an intimate wedding," mutters Light as he watches another small group of ten people come up to congratulate the happy couple.

"Intimate must mean something else in her world," responds L as he picks at the food set in front of him; Misa promised him a vast array of pastries from a top pastry chef and so far he is sorely disappointed in their quality. "Light, may we leave yet? I would like to eat something that doesn't taste like overdone choux with under-sweet strawberry filling."

Light smirks and puts an arm around L. "I guess even celebrities aren't immune to getting terrible food from a caterer. I find that comforting."

"You are a strange one, Light," says L as he moves to put his knee up on his chair, only for it to slip off thanks to the slick bottom of his shoe. He frowns. "I want to go home."

"I know," sighs Light, also wishing to leave. He looks for Noriko and finds her dancing with Sayu and Koji, Matsuda and a heavily pregnant Raku are watching from a nearby table. He feels a little sorry for Raku; no woman wants to go to a wedding this close to her due date. Light turns back to L and rests his head against his. "We'll leave after they cut the cake. That's the last thing we have to sit through before it's appropriate to leave."

L frowns sharply. "I sincerely hope the cake was made by a competent baker instead of the obvious amateur who made these pastries."

Light rubs his shoulder. "Don't tell Misa you hated them, at least not right now, wait until she's come back from her honeymoon."

"Fine," huffs L. "When are they going to cut the cake?"

With a slight flourish, Light looks at his watch. "In about an hour."

L groans loudly and almost slams his face into his plate but Light is quick and holds him up. "I don't think I can take much more of this."

Sometimes Light feels like he has two children instead of one. "Ryuzaki, knock it off! You're being incredibly rude and setting a bad example for Noriko."

"I am not!" argues L indignantly. "She is already well aware how ridiculous this whole affair is, I am only echoing her sentiments."

"She's having fun!" counters Light, pointing at Noriko as she dances with her aunt and best friend. "Now sit up straight and behave yourself."

L gives him a heated glare that Light pointedly ignores but he does as he is told and sits up in his chair, hands folded in his lap. He envies how easy it is for Light and Noriko to fit in with a crowd like this.

"Now," says Light when he is satisfied that L will behave, "what's this I hear about you getting Nori a puppy?"

"I promised her a puppy if she behaved," replies L with a shrug.

Light rolls his eyes. "Ryuzaki, you can't bribe her with something like that. You should have promised her ice cream or cake or a new toy. Not a puppy."

L fidgets with his fingers. "Well, I thought given the circumstances, none of our usual bribes would work. She seemed ready to attack someone and I used my best judgment in the situation. I know I should've consulted with you first, but there wasn't any time and I didn't want Misa to think the only reason Nori was behaving was because I had promised her something."

"But that's exactly why she behaved," sighs Light, shaking his head. "And now we're setting the precedent that if she misbehaves, we'll give her something in order to behave."

"Light, this is the only time we've done that," says L sternly. "Normally she behaves very well, but today seems to be an exception and I can't say I blame her. She looked absolutely miserable before the ceremony, even you can't deny that."

Recalling the bitter look on his young daughter's face, Light really cannot disagree with L. "Be that as it may, you still shouldn't have promised her a puppy. We've discussed this, Ryuzaki, she's too young to understand and by the time she's old enough we'll likely be too busy. And what if we have to leave? We can't just leave a dog to fend for itself."

"Yes, the dog would surely perish while Noriko thrived," says L, a glint in his dark eyes.

"We wouldn't leave the dog and Noriko home alone and you know that," says Light firmly. "We'd leave Noriko with a friend or take her with us."

"Why couldn't we do the same with a dog?" argues L, the corners of his uplifting just slightly.

Light is about to respond when he sees the hints of a smile on L's mouth. He realizes that L is baiting him, manipulating the argument in his favor until Light has no choice but to admit defeat. Well, no one said Light Yagami went down that easily. "You really want a dog, don't you?"

L seems a little disappointed that Light skipped to the end of the argument but he says nothing about it and simply shrugs. "Yes, I do. I believe it will make our little family complete." He then presses the pad of his thumb against his lips. "Well, either a dog or another baby."

Light's eyes widen in horror. There is no way in hell he is having another child, he is perfectly happy with Noriko being his only baby. "Fine, we'll look into some appropriate breeds."

L's face cracks into a wide grin and he throws his arms around Light's neck, kissing his cheek several times. "Have I mentioned how much I love you, my darling husband?"

Light tries not to roll his eyes or to sigh as he puts an arm around his husband's waist. "And have I mentioned that you play dirty?"

"You might have once or twice," replies L as he pulls Light closer.

* * *

The moment they are home, L picks up Noriko and runs upstairs for the nearest shower, pieces from his suit flutter behind him in a trail. Light sighs and begins to pick up the pieces, first the jacket then the tie, following the articles of clothing up to the second floor of their house. He hears the water run in the master bedroom and a very loud sigh from his husband followed by an echo from Noriko. Light shakes his head as he picks up the pants and belt just outside his bedroom door; he glances inside and sees Noriko's dress and wings on the ground as well. Those two are like two peas in a pod.

"Thank god we aren't having another," he mutters as he neatly places the pieces of L's suit on the bed. He will have to take those in to be dry cleaned on Monday and then send them back to the rental store. Light bends over and picks up Noriko's dress and wings, wondering whether he should keep it or give it away; he leans more towards the latter option, given Noriko's obvious distaste for the dress. He places it as well on the bed before he begins to strip out of his suit, relishing the feel of cool air against his hot skin.

When he removes the final stitch of clothing, he walks over to his dresser and pulls out a comfy pair of black sweatpants and slips them on just as the water turns off in the bathroom. Light looks longingly at the bed and then frowns when he sees all of the clothing on it. Rather than give his husband the opportunity, he quickly removes all of the clothes and puts them as neatly as he can on the chaises at the end of the bed before diving right into the center of the bed. Moments later the bathroom door opens and outsteps L, a towel wrapped around his waist with Noriko in his arms, her bathrobe securely on her. Light grins when he sees them.

"Daddy!" shouts Noriko excitedly. "Papa looks like Papa!"

Light props himself up on his elbows and nods when he sees that L's hair has resumed its typical unruly manner and that the black circles under his eyes are once again there. "Yes he does, Nori," says Light as he rolls on his back and he looks at L. "Did you get her any clothes or did you forget in your mad dash to shower?"

"I may have overlooked it," replies L, his ink black locks dripping water all over his shoulders and the floor. "Shall I go get her some?"

Light shakes his head and points at the laundry basket on the chaise as well. "No, the laundry is still in here, I'm sure there are clothes for her in it."

L nods and heads over to the bed where he deposits Noriko with a bounce. She giggles and he smiles as he heads for the basket. Noriko quickly moves to her daddy's side and he wraps his arms around her.

"Did you have fun at Misa's wedding?" asks Light, stifling a yawn.

Noriko shrugs. "It was okay. I didn't like the wings and the cake was bad."

"You sound like your papa," sighs Light as he looks through half-lidded eyes at his husband, who is smiling triumphantly. "Other than that, did you enjoy yourself?"

"No," says Noriko softly as she draws shapes on Light's side. "Misa didn't talk to me."

Light and L share a concerned look. They saw first hand how Misa ignored Noriko, only giving her the barest of smiles when she saw her and she did not speak to her for the majority of the reception. To say it hurt them as much as it hurt Noriko would undermine Noriko's feelings, but they were not pleased to see the mother of their child ignoring her like she had.

"She talked to everyone but me," she mumbles and she hiccups, a sign that she is about to cry. She looks up at her father, her big eyes pleading with him to tell her the truth. "Does Misa like me?"

"Yes, she likes you very much," replies Light slowly, wondering how she will take this. "The thing is, Nori, Misa isn't going to be with you anymore. She's going to live with Hideki in her new house and you're going to see her less and less." Light braced himself for the inevitable tears. "You're not her baby, you're my baby and Papa's baby. She's going to have babies of her own with Hideki."

Noriko nods and flings her arm as far as it will go around Light's stomach. "Will I see her again?"

Light nods. "Of course you will. She'll be at your birthday parties and mine; there might be days where she babysits you, like Aunt Sayu and Grandma do. She isn't leaving forever, but she won't be around like before."

"I see," says Noriko, resting her head just under Light's heart. "Daddy, can you promise me something?" She looks at L. "And Papa, too?"

Both men nod, their eyes glued to their daughter.

"Please don't leave me," she says, hugging Light tightly.

L and Light look at each other, their hearts ready to burst with joy and sorrow. They are thrilled that Noriko does not want them to leave, not that they planned on it, but they knew it is not a promise they cannot make or keep lightly. There will be days when they have to leave and they cannot take her with them, and it will break their promise to her. Still, they do not want to have their daughter fearing that they will leave and not come back like Misa. This is certainly a lose-lose situation.

"We promise."


	22. Chapter 22

Puppy

"Hurry up, Light!" says L as he dashes up the sidewalk, Noriko in his arms, squealing as he runs in his dirty and tattered sneakers. "We're going to miss the puppies!"

Light deliberately goes even slower than before; while he might have agreed to do this that does not mean he is looking forward to it. Three weeks ago, after Misa's wedding, L promised Noriko a puppy for her good behavior at the wedding and now they are making good on that promise. Almost the day after, they began researching appropriate breeds that would be relatively low maintenance, good with children, intelligent, easily trained, and obedient. With those qualities in mind, they complied a list of breeds that matched their criteria. Then L got the brilliant idea to let Noriko pick her puppy.

They printed a couple of pages of pictures of the dogs and put them in front of her, explaining that she could pick whichever dog she wanted and they would get it. Light was hoping she would pick a terrier or poodle or something small. No. Noriko picked the largest breed on the list: The golden retriever. Apparently she liked the way it looked and reacted positively with the image they showed her; Light tried several times later to change her mind by showing her the other pictures of the dogs repeatedly, but none of them elicited the same reaction as the retriever.

Which brings them to now, going to a local and reputable breeder to pick out the puppy of Noriko and L's dreams. L did an obscene amount of research after Noriko selected the breed she wanted, and looked into several breeders before deciding on an older couple who breed show dogs and have an outstanding reputation in all circles. L acted in a way Light never saw before; he was like a man possessed during this quest to find the perfect breeders, and even shut down a few questionable locations in the process using his connections. Light tried to tell him that was an abuse of power but his response was that he would shut down any institution that treated any creature like those did puppies. It was all a little unnerving.

Light watches as L and Noriko run up to the front door, both of them smiling widely as L knocks on the door and an older woman with greying brown hair greets them and ushers them inside. Light sighs and picks up his pace, smiling in greeting at the woman as he follows his family inside.

"They're eager, aren't they?" asks the woman, whom Light knows is An, thanks to L. "You're a good friend to tag along with them."

Light's smile tightens. "Actually, they're my husband and daughter. He promised her a puppy when we were at her mother's wedding."

"Strange that she would invite her ex-husband and his new spouse," mutters An as she closes the door but Light hears her anyway.

"She's not my ex-wife, she just carried our daughter," replies Light coldly before heading into the backyard where he can hear puppies barking and Noriko laughing. He is not surprised by the woman's confusion, it is quite common he is discovering, and he decides to just let it roll off his shoulders.

When he steps outside, he is immediately mobbed by a fluffy golden horde of puppies, all excited to see him and pawing at the legs of his jeans eagerly. He tries to get away but the mass of dogs follows him, blocking his path; he wants to step over them, but with how much they are moving, he risks injuring one. Helpless, he looks for L to help, only to see his husband smiling at his predicament.

"What's so damn funny?" he all but snarls as he once again tries to extricate himself from the horde of puppies.

"It would seem your magnetism does not only extend to humans," replies L, pressing his thumb to his lips in a poor attempt to keep himself from smiling outright. "Really, Light, if I knew puppies were an effective weapon against you, I would have done this years ago."

Light scowls at him. "Shut up and help me, Ryūzaki."

L all too happily goes over to his husband and picks him up, placing him just outside the horde that stops moving once Light is removed from their midst. Light brushes dirt off his jeans as he pretends not to be embarrassed by the whole situation. Really, what man picks up his husband like he weighs nothing, especially when said man lives off of nothing but sugar?

"Where's Noriko?" he asks once he straightens up, daring his husband to say something else about the situation.

"I believe she was following a puppy," replies L as he looks back at the yard. He spots Noriko in the back corner petting on a smaller retriever puppy that is not nearly as golden as the others, but seems sweeter and calmer than the others.

"It seems she's found the runt," says a man behind them, An's husband Yuu. "Sweet girl, very gentle. She's also very happy to be pet on. Your daughter has good taste."

"Thank you," they say in unison.

They watch as Noriko stands up and pat her thighs like they showed her to call a puppy and to their great surprise, the puppy responds and trots right up to Noriko. She then backs up a few feet and repeats the gesture, again the dog responds. She repeats this a few more times until she is a few feet away from where Light and L are standing with Yuu and the other puppies. Noriko smiles broadly as she kneels down and pets on the puppy, and in turn it licks her cheek.

"My puppy!" she declares happily and turns back to Light and L. "Pwease?"

Light manages to resist giving in then and there. He turns to Yuu. "Sir, is it a boy or girl?"

"Girl," says Noriko and Yuu at the same time. The older man gives the young girl a bewildered expression and she shrugs. "Papa taught me."

L simply shrugs when the two men scowl at him for teaching such a young girl something like that.

"Anyway," says Light, his gaze slowly retreating from his husband. "How healthy is she?"

"She's been given her vaccines," replies Yuu. "She comes with a year's worth of health insurance and is as healthy as all the other puppies, even if she is the runt. She'll also come with breeder's papers, detailing her lineage and such if you ever decide to breed or show her."

Light nods thoughtfully, as he suspected this breeder is exactly as L found. "How much?" They already know the general prices of these puppies and that the breeder rarely haggles, so they are prepared for at least 100,000 yen.

"40,000," replies Yuu and both Light and L do a double take.

"Forgive me, but your average cost is 100,000 yen," says L carefully. "Why would you be willing to go so low for this one?"

Yuu looks down at the puppy as she and Noriko play in the grass and a slight smile stretches itself across his thin lips. "Your girl reminds me of my little Rika when she was that age, she loved dogs just as much as yours does and was just as good with them." He looks back at L and Light. "Besides that, I like the look of you. You seem like good people and will give that puppy all the love she needs."

Light and L share a look and a shrug. They came here to get a puppy and it looks like they are going to walk away with one.

"Sold," says Light and Noriko cheers as he pulls out his wallet. She comes up and hugs his legs tight. "You can thank your papa, Nori. This was all his idea."

Noriko nods and heads over to L, promptly wrapping her little arms around his legs as tight as she can. "Tank you, Papa. Tank you, Daddy."

"Anything for you, Little Star," says L fondly as he picks her up. "Now, do you have a name in mind for your new puppy."

"Momo!" announces Noriko and her parents chuckle. "She looks like peach."

L nods as he looks at the puppy. "Yes, she most certainly does resemble a peach. She's fuzzy and yellow with some red. Good choice, Noriko."

Noriko smiles proudly as she and L head back inside. Light shakes his head as he hands over the bills to Yuu, who is now chuckling.

"Thank you," says Light as the money exchanges hands. "Our daughter is really excited to have her new friend."

Yuu nods as he briefly counts the bills before tucking them in his back pocket. "That's good, she'll be a good mistress to her when she's older. My Rika always was."

"If you don't mind my asking, what does Rika do now?" asks Light curiously.

The man's smile drops to a frown, his eyes become misty and it seems as if all of the life is sucked out of him. "She died," he says quietly. "Died in a car accident. She was on her way home from a graduation party."

Light feels terrible for asking. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

Yuu looks up at him and give him a watery smile. "It's fine; been twenty-five years since that night, and I miss her every day. Listen, treasure that little girl of yours. You'll never get another one and you never know when will be the last time you hug her or tell her you love her. I'm sure your life is probably busy right now, but you make time to cuddle her or read her one more bedtime story. You'll be glad of it."

"I'll do that, sir," says Light, his voice thick with emotion as he bows to Yuu before bending down to pick up Momo. The little runt licks his cheek and he rubs behind her ears. He silently takes his leave as Yuu goes to collect the other puppies.

L and Noriko are already waiting for him outside with a bag full of treats and papers for Momo. They will need to go over those later and make sure everything is in order but right now all Light cares about is the way his little girl's face brightens up when she sees her puppy. He is glad that he listened to L and gave in.

"Ready to go?" asks Noriko, smiling happily.

"Yes, ma'am," says Light cheerily and he looks at L. "Here, you can carry Momo and I'll carry Noriko to the car."

L looks at the puppy and then at his baby, wondering if this is a mutually beneficial trade off. He decides that it is acceptable and passes Noriko to Light and takes Momo. The puppy wags her tail and licks his cheek in the process. They head for the car.

"Nori," says Light softly, drawing his daughter's attention away from her puppy for a moment. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too, Daddy," says Noriko, resting her head on his shoulder and he tightens his hold on her.

Yuu's words bounce around in his skull like a rubber ball and he cannot help but think how terrible his life would be without Noriko. He cannot even imagine losing her; it would destroy both him and L completely. Light does not even want to think about what he would turn into if a murderer or a car accident or an illness or anything stole his daughter from him like that. He holds her even tighter as he walks behind L. No, he does not want to imagine the monster he would become again if someone stole away Noriko.

"Daddy, can we pway at home?" asks Noriko, sounding as if she is ready for a nap.

Light nods. "Of course, Nori, I'll play with you."

"Good," says Noriko cheerfully before falling asleep against his shoulder.


	23. Chapter 23

Illness Part One

It is extremely hectic at the Yagami-Lawliet household. L and Watari are preparing to fly out to Denmark for a case where they will meet up with Mello, Light has business in Sapporo for a case, and Noriko has a piano recital coming up that she has been preparing for all month long. Her fathers planned on being home in time to watch her perform, she made them pinky promise.

"When does our flight leave?" asks L as he double-checks his carry on bag of confections. There are many perks to having a private jet as his disposal and bypassing annoying security measures is one of them.

"Whenever we get there," says Light as he finishes packing his bag for the next two weeks. He is tagging along with L on the jet so he can be dropped off directly in Sapporo rather than having to take a day and a half to drive there. "Where's my red tie?"

"I believe Noriko was using it for dress up," replies L as he rearranges his boxes of Pocky and panda cookies. "Now should I arrange them by flavor or alphabetically? Or alphabetically by flavor?"

Light rolls his eyes as he heads out of the master bedroom for their daughter's room just across the hall. He is about to knock when he hears something that makes him pause. It sounds like Noriko discussing evidence for a case; he slowly opens the door and sees Noriko wearing his blue suit jacket and red tie and one of L's white shirts. She looks perfectly adorable.

He looks to his right and sees several of her dolls and stuffed animals lined up in front of her like an audience. Her black sheep is seated in the center and their golden retriever Momo is lying patiently beside Noriko, wearing a police hat.

"I knew it!" says Noriko, sounding a little like Light whenever he makes a declaration. She points at the little lamb. "It was you all along, Yamada. You were the one who stole the jewels and framed Miss Goto for the crime, and you were the one who killed her dog after it started barking at you that day in the museum! It recognized you from before and you wanted to make sure it could never connect you to the crime. You thought you would get away with it but I found you out and now you're going to spend the rest of your life in jail! Take him away, Chief!"

Light keeps from laughing as he watches her move her stuffed lion to take away the black sheep to the toy box. He makes a mental note to tell his father that Noriko uses her lion as his stand in.

"Well Ryūzaki, that was a good job," says Noriko looking to her left. She then quickly discards the jacket and tie and moves to the left, slouching her shoulders over like L does. "Yes, I would say he had a 67% chance of getting away with it if we hadn't been working the case."

The way she imitates L's voice almost brings Light to tears from laughing so hard internally. She puts the jacket and tie back on.

"I guess we should get going, Noriko's waiting for us at home," she says, resuming her Light persona. "And Watari will have dinner ready."

"Now that sounds like a good way to end a case," says Light at last, making his daughter jump. "Well done, Noriko, you're an excellent actress."

Noriko's cheeks turn bright red and she smiles bashfully at her father. "Thanks, Daddy. I tried to be just like you and Papa. Did I do good?"

"Yes, you did _well_ ," Light gently corrects. "Now then, how about you give Daddy his tie and jacket and you give Papa his shirt back?"

She looks at the items he mentioned and shakes her head. "No, I want to keep these. They smell like you and Papa, and it makes me think of you when you're gone."

Light's heart melts; he really cannot justify taking those items back now that she said something so sweet. "Well, I guess it's okay if you keep them until we get home. You just have to promise to take very good care of them while we're gone."

Noriko's eyes sparkle with delight. "I promise!"

"Good girl," says Light with a fond smile. He looks at Momo who is calmly looking at him, truly she is the best behaved dog in the world if she can stand being made to dress up for Noriko's skits. "Momo, come on, we need to get your leash on."

Momo stands up and stretches, her peach colored fur catching the sunlight from Noriko's window and she trots over to Light and Noriko, licking her mistress' cheek in greeting. Noriko giggles and throws her arms around the dog's neck, nuzzling into her fur.

"I'm glad you get to go with me, Momo," says Noriko as she pulls away, petting her friend on the head. "It would be lonely without you."

Light cocks an eyebrow as he heads over to her bed where her suitcase is sitting. "What are you talking about? You'll have Koji and Takashi to play with."

Noriko pulls a face. "Takashi's too young and he's mean. He tried to hurt Peter last time!"

Light recalls the frantic phone call he received during a meeting one afternoon from Raku, telling him that he needed to pick up Noriko; apparently she left Peter on the floor to get a snack and Takashi went straight for him, pulling on his ears and limbs almost to the point of total destruction before Noriko saved him. This led to a half hour long scream session from Takashi as Noriko glared at him from a high point in the living room, keeping the toy out of his reach. Raku was on her last nerve and needed her gone in order to calm Takashi down. Light picked Noriko up and praised her for keeping her temper in check and not hurting Takashi even though he hurt her special toy. She responded by saying next time he might not be so lucky.

"Just keep Peter in your room this time," says Light slowly as he opens the suitcase, wondering if this is a huge mistake in the making. "And be nice to Takashi, I know he's younger but you should set an example for him and behave yourself."

"I do behave myself," argues Noriko as she hands her dress up clothes for him to pack in her suitcase. He takes them and neatly folds them, putting them on top of her other clothes. "He's the one who acts like the Devil!"

Light gives her a stern look. "You don't say that about others, Nori. And where did you learn that, anyway?"

"That's what Near calls Mello sometimes," replies Noriko with a slight shrug. "And that's not _nearly_ as bad as what Mello calls you."

"And what does he call me?" asks Light through grit teeth. It would seem he is going to need to talk to L _again_ about what the heirs say in front of Noriko.

Noriko looks around, possibly making sure L is not listening in and in a loud whisper she says, "Kira!"

Light almost drops the suitcase he is in the process of picking up. This goes beyond talking to L, this offense is almost worthy of going straight to corporal punishment. "Whe-Why did he say that?"

Noriko realizes that she revealed something she probably should not and quickly tries to backtrack. "Well, h-he didn't say that, he just said you w-were like him."

It takes monumental effort for Light to reign in his temper, counting back from three hundred as he stands at his daughter's bedside. He knows she does not know the truth and that Mello was probably thinking himself clever by saying what he did, still that does not make Light any happier. Even planting the idea in Noriko's mind might cause something unwanted to grow there. "Nori, I'm not Kira," he says calmly, once he reaches two hundred and fourteen, and he smiles gently down at her as she looks up worriedly at him. "I'm not like Kira at all, Mello just likes to say those kinds of things to upset people; like when he calls Near a snowflake or Matt a goggle-eyed nerd."

"Or Papa a panda, right?" interjects Noriko and he relaxes just a fraction. "Or when he calls me a nosy brat or devil-spawn?"

The tension in his muscles returns at full force. "I think we need to have a talk with Mello about what is and isn't appropriate to call people."

Noriko nods. "Mello has a bad mouth. Even Matt doesn't want to kiss him after he says some of that stuff, and Matt smokes! Mello's mouth must be worse."

Light lets out a loud snicker. Maybe Mello is not entirely wrong in calling Noriko 'nosy.' "I'll keep that in mind the next time he visits. Now, enough about your brothers, we need to get you ready to go over to the Matsudas' house. Did you pack Momo's bag?"

She nods proudly. "Yep, it's all ready. All of her food, and her toys are in the bag. So is her medicine and flea collar, just in case. Grandfather even baked some special treats for her."

"How nice," says Light with a slight chuckle; Watari has taken to the role of Noriko's grandfather like a fish to water. "Alright, if that's everything, we should get this stuff to the car."

"Why can't I come with you?" she asks as Light picks up the bags. "I promise I'll be good and won't get in the way."

Light sighs heavily, they have repeatedly had this conversation with Noriko ever since she was old enough to understand their work; and it was very difficult explaining such things to a four-year-old when she first asked to come. "Nori, you know you can't go and that it isn't a matter of your behavior," says Light patiently as he heads for the door. "We can't put you in danger and this assignment is very dangerous. I'm not going to needlessly risk your life. It's my responsibility as your father to keep you as safe as I possibly can. Besides, you have school, and there's no reason for you to miss days unnecessarily."

Noriko pouts as she follows her father out of her room, Momo trailing behind her. "It's not fair! I want to go, too! And I don't care about school, Papa can teach me!"

"Noriko, not now," sighs Light as he stops to knock on his bedroom door. "L? I'm going to take Nori's stuff out to the car. I'll be coming back for our stuff next, so be ready."

"Yes, yes. Now, orange liqueur comes before orange truffle," is L's distracted reply and Light can only guess that his husband is still trying to sort his candy.

Noriko giggles as Light rolls his eyes.

"Papa needs a better system," she says as they head for the stairs. "He should sort them by type and then by what he's going to eat first. Sorting by name isn't very helpful."

Light cocks an eyebrow as he looks down at his daughter. "I'll run that by him when he starts whining on the plane that he can't find one of his candies."

"Maybe I should go with you, that way you know you got my idea right," suggests Noriko with a bright smile and a mischievous light in her eyes.

"Nice try but no," says Light with a faint smile. His daughter really is growing up.

* * *

The car ride over to the Matsudas' house is a quiet one. Light is concentrating on driving, L is now sorting his carryon bag between files and candy, and Noriko is attempting to not cry the closer and closer they draw to their destination. Noriko hates being left behind, she wants to be with her daddy and papa even if they have to work. At least she would be with them.

Momo leans up and licks her cheek, eliciting a small smile from the sad girl.

"Thanks, Momo," she says quietly as she pets her dog on the head. "At least you want to be around me."

"Now remember, Noriko, you're to be on your best behavior for your aunt," says Light without looking back. "Say 'please' and 'thank you' and 'excuse me' and—"

"And use my inside voice when playing, don't take something without asking, make sure they know where I am at all times, and do my homework immediately after school," finishes Noriko, knowing this speech by heart already.

L smirks when he sees Light's frown. "What did you expect? She's your daughter after all."

Light rolls his eyes. "You know, she's your daughter too, you could say something every once in a while."

"Alright," agrees L and he turns back to face Noriko. "Don't interrupt your daddy when he's giving you instructions; you'll hurt his feelings if you show him how pointless it is."

Noriko giggles and L smiles triumphantly as he turns back to a scowling Light.

"I really hate you sometimes," he mumbles, making sure Noriko cannot hear him.

L shrugs as he finishes with his carryon bag. "Be careful what you wish for, my dear."

They arrive at the house a few minutes later and Noriko begins to slowly remove her seat belt, taking her time. She does not want to leave. She wants to stay with her daddy and papa, not with Raku and Koji and Takashi.

"Hurry up, Nori," says her papa as he watches Light greet Raku. "You don't want to keep Mrs. Matsuda waiting, do you?"

Noriko glances out the window and frowns when she sees her daddy talking with her aunt. "I don't want to go."

L turns back. "What was that?"

"I don't want to go!" she shouts, her voice cracking just a little at the end. "Please Papa, I want to go with you and Daddy. I don't want to stay here."

"You know why you have to Little Star," says L, a frown slowly developing on his thin lips. "We want to keep you safe."

"But I'm safer with you!" argues Noriko fiercely. "You and Daddy always say that there isn't a safer place than our house and that's because you and Daddy are there."

' _Damn she's good,'_ thinks L as he tries to come up with a counterargument. "Well, Nori, you need to understand that while that's true, we might not be able to keep you safe if you went with us where we go. We couldn't guarantee your safety like we can if you stay here."

Tears threaten to spill as she unbuckles Momo's leash and pulls gently on it. "Yeah, I understand. I'm sorry for arguing."

Before L can say anything, she is out of the car.

Noriko walks up to her daddy and Raku, waiting patiently to be acknowledged.

"It's fine, Light, really," assures Raku with a slightly tight smile.

Light smiles pleasantly at her. "I can't believe this case coincided with everyone I know being busier than a student during finals."

Raku chuckles. "It always seems to happen doesn't it?"

They share a quick laugh before Light realizes that Noriko is already standing beside him, Momo at her side.

"Hey sweetie," he says, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Are you ready?"

Noriko nods although she does not meet her father's eyes. "Yeah, I said goodbye to Papa already."

Light grins as he kisses her cheek again. "Good." He takes her hand and stands up. "Thank you again, Raku, I'll make sure to get you something nice as a thank you."

Raku nods, a fake smile plastered on her face. "Anything to help."

"Now Nori," says Light, looking down at her with a kind smile. "Remember to be on your best behavior and I'll see you in two weeks. I love you."

"I love you, too," says Noriko, glancing at her daddy.

Light is about to lean down to hug her when a honk startles all three of them. Light drops her hand and whirls around to see L leaning over the center console, his hand on the horn. He impatiently honks again.

"I'm sorry about that," says Light as he turns back to Raku. "I guess we're later than I thought we were."

Raku nods. "It's fine, Light. Hurry up and get on the road, Noriko will be just fine."

Light nods and with a fleeting smile to his daughter, he rushes to the car and hops in just as L crawls back in his seat. A moment later the car starts up and begins to pull away. With tears in her eyes, Noriko waves at her daddy and papa as they drive away; her papa is practically on her daddy's lap in his frantic attempt to wave at her. She laughs a little as they pull away and she only puts her hand down when their car is out of sight.

"Time to go inside," says Raku cheerily as she picks up her suitcase and Momo's bag. "You're going to be in the guest room, I hope you don't mind being next to Takashi."

Noriko feigns a pleased smile as she follows Raku inside. "That's fine, he isn't that loud."

The toddler is louder than a construction site next to an amusement park but she refrains from saying so, knowing that Raku is trying to make the best of a less than ideal situation. Staying with Raku is generally the final back up plan when all other sitters fall through. In this case, all of her uncles are going to be in Sapporo with her daddy, so is her grandfather, her other aunts are too busy with their children, her grandma and Aunt Sayu are away at a mother-daughter retreat, and Misa is in the United States with Hideki. Raku is the only one available.

"Koji should be home soon," says Raku as they head upstairs, passing Takashi in his playpen while he screams and squeals as he plays with his trucks and stuffed animals. "He went over to a friend's house for the afternoon, but he's really excited that you're staying with us."

Noriko, who is watching Takashi pile drive a stuffed bear with a monster truck, merely nods. She looks at Momo, who is also watching the almost three-year-old with much trepidation, and they share a knowing look to stay as far away from the child as possible.

"Can Momo stay in my room?" asks Noriko as she follows Raku up.

Raku glances over her shoulder at the three-year-old golden retriever and seems reluctant to agree, but she nods regardless. "Sure, so long as she doesn't make a mess."

"Momo is a perfect guest," says Noriko sharply, so much so that Raku looks at the girl in surprise; she never heard a six-year-old speak with such authority. It is a little unnerving.

"Of course she is," says Raku slowly, as they go down the hall.

They arrive at a plain wooden door. Raku opens it and steps inside, Noriko and Momo following behind, she places the bags on the floor in front of the closet and turns to Noriko.

"This is your room," she says with strained cheer. "I'll leave you to get settled."

"You know," says Noriko as Raku tries to leave the room, "you don't have to pretend to be happy I'm here, I know you think I'm weird."

Raku's dark blue eyes go wide but she says nothing as she leaves. Noriko is glad when she is gone and nearly slams the door closed. She hurries to the bed and dives on top, burying her head in the pillow as Momo jumps up beside her, lying still at her side. The little girl slides an arm around her dog's neck and strokes the soft fur gently as tears soak into the pillow. She wishes she was with her parents rather than here where she is unwanted.

* * *

L pulls out his bag full of snacks and confections, his attention only halfway on his treats as he recalls the disagreement he and Noriko had before she got out the car. She called it arguing but he simply saw it as a minor dispute on a touchy subject. L never saw a problem with bringing Noriko anywhere, including locations where he would be working, in fact he began doing it when she was just a few weeks old; although those were all local cases and it was before Light was granted permission to work from home. Light, the doting and hovering father that he is, nearly lost his mind when he discovered what L was doing with their infant daughter. Needless to say, that put an end to his bonding time with Noriko.

Now they are in the same situation again, only this time there are three vocal participants rather than two on opposing sides. If there were true democracy, Noriko would be sitting in the seat between them right now, helping herself to the chocolate covered orange gummies he packed. He picks up the bag from his stash and frowns at it as if it were the reason for this tumbling of emotion.

"Light, I want Noriko to come with us," he says flatly and almost without thinking. He glances over at his husband and is not surprised that it takes him a few moments to process what he just said. If he had heard Light say those same words, it would have taken him a while to comprehend as well.

"Absolutely not!" says Light sternly as he looks up from his case file. He is not in the mood to discuss this topic again, especially after arguing with Noriko about it. "She's far too young."

L purses his lips into a fine line. He really detests it when Light reduces their daughter to an age rather than a person as a whole. "The children at Wammy's—"

"I don't care what they do!" shouts Light before L can finish his argument. He is sick and tired of hearing how things are done at Wammy's and has been since L started it when Noriko was barely a month old. He notices the stunned way L is looking at him and diverts his attention to the window, crossing his arms tight across his chest. "I don't care, L, they're not my child. It's different."

"I'm not sure how," counters L although he knows he is treading on thin ice. Light is fiercely protective of Noriko, almost to the point of the ridiculous; it took L an hour of persuasion to get him to even hand Noriko off to someone who was over to visit. Saying that Noriko is no different from any child is definitely crossing a line with Light but L is sick of their family being separated. Something he finds terribly ironic, given how the first year and a half of his marriage was spent mostly abroad and without Light.

Light looks over his shoulder and glares at L. "It's different because. She. Is. My. Child. She isn't some genius being raised to replace you someday, she isn't a child without parents who love and care about her, and she isn't yours to do with as you please! She is ours, which means I have a say in what she does and does not do, and unless we agree on something, we don't do anything the other doesn't like."

"Well, I don't like that we leave her behind," snaps L, fed up with his husband's childish attitude.

"And I didn't like that you promised her a dog," retorts Light, even though he grew to care and like Momo a great deal since first getting her. "So we're even."

"There is no even or odd here, Light," says L sternly. "You can't get around the fact that we regularly abandon our child to others so we can conduct our work when it would be easier to take her with us. At least we would know she's safe then!"

Light rolls his eyes. "She's safer here than wherever we are."

"We've always told her that our house is safe because we're there," says L softly, repeating Noriko's argument and he sees Light's tense posture slacken just a little. "I want our daughter, Light, I want her with us."

"And I want her safe," says Light, his voice cracking as he recalls an old man's words about treasuring his daughter. "And we can't guarantee that if we take her with us."

L smiles as he takes Light's hand, knowing that his stance is weakening. "And I can't guarantee that you'll be safe wherever you go and I can't guarantee that I will be either. The fact of the matter is, I want my family together and I sleep easier knowing that I can reach out and touch you and Noriko." He reaches up and caresses Light's cheek for emphasis. "Wouldn't you rather have her here?"

Light glances down at the seat between them, full of files and pictures of evidence. He imagines Noriko sitting there instead with Momo curled up at her feet; his little girl would be jabbering away about something or other as she took a snack out of L's bag. Just like when he pictured his future child all those years ago, he knew in his heart that he would rather have Noriko here with them than all alone in someone else's house.

"Yes," admits Light, now almost entirely defeated. "Maybe next time we'll take her with us."

L's smile widens. It is enough of a victory for now.


	24. Chapter 24

Illness Part Two

The week wears on very slowly; the three family members count down the days until they are reunited while they try to carry on with their normal activities. Noriko calls Light and L every night using the cellphone Matt made for her when she was old enough to understand how it worked. She was three. She tells them about her day and L tells her about the case and tells her a story, Light sings her a lullaby before he hangs up and they all tell each other how much they love one another.

On the morning of Friday, a week before her parents are due to arrive, Noriko can barely get out of bed. Her body aches and she is shivering hard for some reason, not to mention she can barely catch her breath. She felt poorly all week but when she told Raku, she attributed it to stress and a summer cold. Now she thinks her body is going to shake apart from shivering so much, even though she is already under three blankets, her papa's shirt, and her daddy's jacket.

Noriko curls into the fetal position and tries to stop shaking. She needs to go to school, she cannot afford to miss any days, but she wants to stay in bed and sleep. She thinks about her parents and pulls out her cellphone, if she is going to miss school then she needs to ask their permission; she is sure they will let her, but they would get mad if she skipped without asking first. The phone shakes in her hand and she cannot move her fingers to press the app. Eventually she gives up and looks at Momo.

The golden retriever paces nervously around the room, obviously aware of her mistress' distress and likely trying to find a solution.

"M-M-Momo," says Noriko, sounding like she just went out into a snowstorm. "Get help."

Momo barks and then charges for the closed door. Standing on her hind legs, she begins scratching the wood, aiming for the doorknob but it still makes noise. Moments later the door swings open to reveal a very irate Raku.

"I thought I told you to keep your animal under control!" she snaps only to freeze when she looks up and sees Noriko buried in her bed. "Nori! What's wrong?"

Noriko looks up at Raku and immediately the woman knows what is wrong. Her face is pale and her cheeks are bright red, the outer rims of her lips have a blue tinge to them and she can see her visibly shaking. Raku rushes to her side and puts a hand on her forehead, nearly jumping back when she feels how hot her skin is. Without a second thought, she pulls out her cellphone and dials for an ambulance.

"Six year old female," she says as she goes to get Noriko out of bed. "High fever, flushed skin, and blue lips and fingernails."

Noriko thinks it is strange the way she is feeling is spelled out so plainly. She thinks it sounds ugly. "Papa would agree," she mumbles as she tries to stand only to sway and nearly tumble to the ground.

Raku shrieks when she sees Noriko fall, only to be saved by Momo's timely intervention. She barely has time to contemplate why the dog is as smart as her human owners as she rushes to pick the limp girl up and hold her in her arms.

"Koji!" she shouts as she leaves the room. The boy in question comes racing to the bottom of the stairs, never having heard his mother sound so scared before. "Koji, you're not going to school. I need you to watch your brother."

Koji almost asks why when he sees Noriko in her arms and immediately understands. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes," says Raku, although her voice cracks. "Just stay here and watch Takashi. I'll call you when we get to the hospital."

"Cell," says Noriko as she shivers violently. "Cell."

"Mom, I think she wants her cellphone," says Koji as his mother hurries to put on her shoes.

Raku shakes her head. "There's no reason for her to have it."

"Pa, Dada," she says, her breathing now labored as she struggles to communicate.

"She wants to call her parents," interprets Koji and she gives the faintest of nods.

"There's no need, we don't know if she's really that sick," says Raku sternly. She is terrified of what Light might say or do should he find out that she did not immediately rush Noriko in when she started exhibiting symptoms.

Koji does not understand his mother's mind but he can plainly see that his cousin is suffering. "Mom, she looks like a corpse! I think Uncle Light needs to know."

Raku glares at her son just as someone knocks on the door. She opens it and an EMT immediately reaches for Noriko, she willingly hands the girl over and watches as she is taken to the waiting ambulance.

"Are you the girl's mother?" asks another EMT as he steps forward with a form.

"No, her parents are out of town," replies Raku as she signs the form, cringing at the cost. "I'll follow behind."

"Alright," says the EMT as he takes the form and hurries back to the ambulance.

Raku stands in the doorway and watches as Noriko is put on a stretcher and taken in, her eyes are wide open with fear. "It's okay," she says encouragingly. "You're safe!"

Noriko manages to shake her head before the doors close.

* * *

Raku paces nervously outside of Noriko's hospital room, waiting for the doctor to come out and announce his diagnosis. The moment she knows, she will call Light and let him know, but until then she is just going to wait. She does not want to bother him in the middle of a difficult case, so if the diagnosis is just a bad fever, she will let it slide. She will not even mention the hospital stay and she will make sure that Noriko does not either; god, she feels so irresponsible and insensitive right now.

"Mrs. Matsuda," says a man as he exits the room. His expression is grave and her heart falls.

"Yes?" she asks, barely keeping her trembling under control.

"Noriko has pneumonia," he says and Raku feels like the world is spinning. "Her fever is almost 40.5 degrees and her airways have closed 45%. We have her on a ventilator and have given her medication to assist in bringing her fever down as well as combat the illness. She is in critical condition."

Raku lets out a shaky breath. "Will she live?"

"These next few hours are crucial," says the doctor sternly. "You did well bringing her in when you did. Another couple of hours and her condition may have been irreversible."

' _Thank god for that dog,'_ she thinks as she nods. "Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor smiles and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, it would've been difficult to tell what she was sick with until today."

Raku breathes easier for a moment as the doctor leaves, only for her confidence to fall when she realizes she still needs to call Light and let him know. She pulls out her cellphone with wobbly hands and presses Light's number.

Light feels his cellphone vibrate in his chest pocket. He looks at it discreetly as his father addresses the detectives in the room and is only a little surprised to see Raku's name. She normally calls to give him a status update on Noriko, but this seems too early. Noriko is in school right now.

"And now, I would like to invite Detective Light Yagami to the podium to speak," says his father just as he is about to answer the phone.

Light stands up and bows slightly before he goes up to the podium.

"God dammit!" rages Raku when the call goes to voicemail. "Now is not the time to screen calls, Yagami!"

Matsuda feels his phone vibrate and he peeks at it, smiling when he sees his wife's name. He turns away from the crowd, glad that he chose to stand in this corner earlier.

"Hi honey, what's up?" he asks in a quiet, cheerful voice.

" _Where's Light?!"_ she demands loudly and he struggles for a moment to muffle her voice, even still several people look back at him.

"He's presenting new evidence," replies Matsuda softly. "Why? What's wrong?"

Raku relays the day's events, almost in tears when she finishes and Matsuda feels panic coursing through his veins. Noriko is so young and to be so very sick . . .

"Light!" he shouts, turning to face the crowd, phone still pressed to his face.

Light barely refrains from openly glaring at the man. "Yes, Detective Matsuda, is there something you needed to add?"

"Noriko's in the hospital!" he announces frantically. "She has pneumonia!"

The world comes to a standstill. There is no movement, no sound, and no air. Light can barely believe that those words came out of Matsuda's mouth. His Noriko? His little girl, sick? That seems to start the world again and before he can register what he is doing, he is sprinting out of the room at top speed, his cellphone in hand as he calls Raku back.

"Raku," he says when she finally answers. "What happened?"

She relays the same story she told her husband and Light feels as if adrenaline replaced his blood. He thanks her for her quick thinking before hanging up and hailing the nearest taxi, almost knocking down a couple of people in his mad dash. He instructs it to get to the nearest airport and offers to pay double if the driver gets there in fifteen minutes.

They get there in twelve.

* * *

"Where is she?!" Light demands as he bursts into the hospital. Several people stare at him as if he lost his mind but only one does not and she runs up to him quickly.

"Follow me," says Raku and she leads him to the first hallway she finds and then down another corridor. Light stays on her heels the entire time.

They reach the door and before Raku can even explain anything to Light, he is through the door, startling a nurse who just exited. Raku gives her an apologetic look before she leaves to sit back down in the waiting room, her job now complete.

Light stands in the doorway and simply stares at Noriko. She is asleep, a tube down her nose to assist in her breathing. She seems peaceful and no longer shaking, as Raku described. Her skin is still pale with just a hint of blue in her nails and lips. He notices that his blue suit jacket and tie are resting in the seat beside her bed and she is wearing L's shirt. Light nearly breaks down crying.

He looks at the chair beside her bed and sits down, his legs almost giving out as he collapses into the hard cushion. This is not what he expected to happen when he left. In all his time being a parent, Noriko was sick only a handful of times and most of them were just minor illnesses that cleared up in a couple of days; this is something far more serious and it nearly killed her. Light reaches out and takes her small hand in his, needing to touch her to reassure himself that she is still there.

His phone buzzes and he knows without looking who it is. He called L on his way to the airport and again after he landed, relaying what he knew about the situation and begging for the funds to buy a ticket as he left his wallet and other belongings in his hotel room in Sapporo. L readily bought him a ticket on the first flight back to Tokyo and paid for the fare for both cab rides all while cursing the fact his private jet is not yet ready to depart. It is in the middle of maintenance and scheduled to be finished in a couple of days.

"I'm here," he says as he strokes the back of Noriko's hand.

" _Thank god,"_ says L, sounding as relieved as Light. _"How is she?"_

"Stable," replies Light. "She's on a ventilator right now but she isn't as blue and her fever appears to have broken." He swallows thickly. "She's asleep right now and the doctor isn't in yet."

" _I should be there,"_ says L sadly. _"I should be there with you both."_

Light smiles. "I know, but at least one of us is here. I don't even want to imagine the possibility of us both being out of the country and something like this happens."

L sighs. _"Neither do I; this is hell enough for me. I'm coming home as soon as I can."_

"But what about your case?" asks Light, knowing the moment it leaves his mouth how stupid it sounds. He just fled from a case himself to be by their child's side without a second thought.

" _Damn the case!"_ shouts L and he barely pulls the phone away from his ear in time. _"My child is in the hospital and nearly died! I'm not about to be anywhere else except with her."_

Light can only smile. "I love you. I love you so much."

" _I know,"_ says L and Light can hear the smile in his voice. _"I will be home as soon as I can. I want texts every hour on her status and a phone call every two."_

"I can do that," agrees Light. "She's wearing your shirt, you know."

" _Good,"_ says L and his voice cracks. _"Give her a kiss for me. I love you."_

"I will, you too," he says before they hang up.

* * *

It feels like sand is in her eyes and that it went down her throat, scratching everything in its path. Noriko swallows but the soreness and scratchiness do not go away. She opens her eyes, blinking to chase away the sand. The world around her is dark and she wonders if she is still in Raku's house, she goes to reach her hand out for Momo when she feels something heavy on top of it. She turns her head and sees Light sleeping at the foot of the bed, his hand on top of hers. For a moment she is elated to see her daddy but then she remembers that she did not go to school that day and did not call to let him know. He is probably there because of that.

"Daddy," she says, her voice scratchy. "Daddy."

Light stirs, rubbing his face against the back of his free hand.

Noriko gently moves her hand under his. "Daddy!"

Light's head shoots up and he looks around for a moment before he remembers where he is and why. His eyes immediately find Noriko's and they fill with tears as he leans forward and kisses her forehead. "That's from Papa," he says, choking on the welling of emotion in his throat. He sits back and smiles, and then is startled when he sees tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I missed school!" she says as she breaks down crying. "I missed school and I didn't ask. I'm so sorry, Daddy! I didn't mean for you to come home, I just wasn't feeling good."

"Oh Nori," says Light as he moves to cradle her in his arms, much to her surprise. "I'm not here because you missed school. I'm here because you were sick and I was scared."

Noriko hiccups slightly as she calms down. "You were scared?"

"Absolutely terrified," he replies, there is no reason to hide it from her. He was scared when he heard she was in the hospital. He was scared when he saw her in bed and he was scared when he woke up, thinking her voice was just a dream. "You're the most precious thing in my life, Noriko, you and your papa. Without either of you, I'm terrified."

Noriko's tears subside and she nestles further in her dad's arms. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

Light smiles as he kisses her forehead and continues to rock her. "You couldn't help it, sweetheart. How do you feel?"

"Better," she replies, and she does feel better being in her daddy's arms. "What about your case?"

"Damn the case," he says, repeating what his husband said. "Right now, you're more important than any case."

Noriko's eyes widen and she looks at her father as if he just said something astounding. "Really?"

Light nods, a little taken aback by how skeptical she seems. "Of course. A case is just a case, but you're my daughter, my little girl, and I don't care if the world's ending; if you need me, I'll be right there for you. Even if it's just to comfort you after a bad day at school."

"I love you, Daddy," says Noriko, putting an arm around Light's neck and he holds her tighter.

"What about me?"

They both turn to look and see L standing in the doorway, a worn smile on his face.

"Papa!"

"L—Rue!"

L smirks as he hurries to the bed, sliding in beside Light. "Nice save, Detective."

"What the hell are you doing here?" asks Light as he leans against L. Until now, he did not realize how much he needed the support of his husband.

"I flew home," he replies with a shrug, as if it is obvious. "I couldn't stand the thought of being away another minute, so I took the first commercial flight to Tokyo."

Both Noriko and Light stare at him.

"You mean, you flew coach?" asks Light incredulously.

"Please, I flew business," scoffs L. "But if you're asking whether I took public transport, then yes, I did. I decided my comfort was a small sacrifice if it meant I could be with my family sooner."

Light felt tears well in his eyes. Never in their almost ten years of marriage has L ever said something so wonderful. Not even at Misa's wedding.

"Where's Grandfather and Mello?" asks Noriko as L wraps an arm around her.

"Back in Denmark," he says, stroking the top of her head. "They're going to finish up the case."

Noriko looks on the verge of tears. "You chose me over a case."

L is stunned and looks to Light, who seems only marginally aware of their daughter's current emotion. "Of course," says L firmly. "You're my daughter, you're far more important than a case."

"That's what Daddy said," says Noriko softly and L finally understands. "I thought your work was too important. That's why I made you pinky promise to come to my recital."

Light and L share a concerned look. It seems they did a poor job conveying to their daughter just how special she is to them and that nothing is more important to them.

"And we were going to be there even if we didn't promise," says Light reassuringly. "I'm sorry we made you feel like you had to make us sign a document just to spend time with you."

Noriko shrugs. "I know your job is important."

L kisses the top of her head. "Our first and principal job is being your parents. Being detectives is secondary." He smiles slyly. "Maybe we should take you with us next time, that way we can do both of our jobs at once."

Noriko looks hopeful as Light sighs heavily.

"Fine," says Light after a few moments. "She can join us. After going through this, I don't think there was anyway I was going to disagree."

No, after this, he is never letting Noriko out of his sight again.


	25. Chapter 25

Runaway

Light looks up from his laptop; glancing at the Rolex on his left wrist, it is just after four o'clock and his daughter Noriko should have already been home by now. She is never late anywhere, and this worries him.

"L," he says, now looking over at his husband, "did Watari pick Nori up from school today?"

L's dark grey eyes lock with Light's amber eyes, the detective puts his index finger in his mouth and gently bites down on the tip, a habit from long ago and Light can tell he is thinking critically. "Yes, I believe he did," replies L from around his finger. "Perhaps I should call him and see why he and Nori are delayed this afternoon."

"Please do," says Light with slight concern. He knows his daughter can take care of herself in a difficult situation but she is still a child and thinking of her in danger puts him on edge. Light watches as L pulls out a silver cellphone and presses a button before holding the phone up to his ear with his index finger and thumb. Even across the room Light can hear the sounds of ringing on the other end.

"Hello Watari," says L in his usual calm and monotone voice. "I was wondering if you had collected Noriko yet, the hour is rather late given when school lets out."

There is silence on the their end and Light cannot make out what Watari is saying to L, something that infuriates him greatly. He tries to read L's face as his father figure speaks on the other end, but as usual it is impassive to all hints of expression save for placid indifference. The detective gives nothing away about the safety of their daughter.

"Alright, thank you, Watari," says L and he closes the phone, looking away from Light as he does. "It would appear our daughter has decided to run away from home." Light is about to speak but L presses on, ignoring the other man's reaction. "Don't panic, Watari is following her in the car, he believes she's going to the park nearby though he cannot persuade her to allow him to drive her there. He suggested that we go down there ourselves and convince her to come back home."

Light buries his face in his hands; he feels it is both a blessing and a curse that his daughter is so high-spirited. On one end, she is probably one of the most imaginative people he knows, her intelligence seemingly surpassing his own and she is only eight; but on the other, she can be incredibly stubborn and when she sets her mind to something, she is rarely dissuaded. Like now for instance.

"Fine, text Watari that we'll be there in ten minutes," sighs Light as he stands and reaches for his suit jacket hanging on the hook behind him. "I hope to heaven she's in a slightly more cooperative mood when we arrive."

L chuckles warmly as starts texting on his phone. "She certainly is our daughter."

* * *

Autumn in Japan is normally mild, with mid-range temperatures and slightly cool breezes that blow periodically throughout the day, but this particular day is colder than average. This fact does not stop L from leaving his home without a jacket nor does it slow Light's pace as he storms off in the direction of the park to talk some sense into their daughter.

"Can you believe we're actually going to negotiate with an eight year old?" he asks L as they round a corner. "I thought negotiating with criminals was difficult, but that was before we had a kid, of course."

L shrugs his narrow shoulders, barely trying to keep up with his partner. "There is a sixty-eight percent chance that we'll have to bribe her back home, possibly with a new piece of technology or a new doll."

Light rolls his eyes as he stops and waits for L to catch up to him. "Yes, and then we'll take it away from her as punishment for making us worry about her and having to leave work in the middle of an intense case."

"You don't mean that last part, Light," says L knowingly. "You know you'd drop anything that you were doing to be by Nori's side, and so would I, that's what being a parent is all about. We might be frustrated with her now but we'd never put a case above our daughter."

Light nods and lets out an exasperated sigh. "I know, I know. You know if I could, I'd give that little girl the world on a silver platter. It's just frustrating like you said."

L smiles slightly as he slips his hand into Light's, squeezing it reassuringly. "And it will continue to be as frustrating as it is rewarding. We just have to have some patience with her."

"I know," says Light calmly, his brewing temper cooled by L's words. "Come on, let's go get our daughter."

* * *

When they arrive at the park, they see Watari sitting with Noriko on a park bench close to the playground; her arms are crossed against her chest as the older gentleman attempts to speak with her. It is all in vain, she is not listening to a word he is saying to her. Watari looks up and sees Light and L approaching their position, he breathes a sigh of relief and silently indicates that he is going to wait in the car parked nearby. Light and L nod their understanding and continue to walk towards their daughter, neither one sure what they are going to say.

"Noriko, it's good to see you," says L as he and Light sit down on either side of her. "I hear we might not be seeing you much anymore, is that true?"

Noriko nods firmly, the gesture causing strands of her light brown hair to fall in her face. "That's right, I'm not coming home. I'm running away forever."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Nori," says Light, picking up the cue from L. "Did we do something to make you want to leave home?"

"No," says Noriko quietly, her honey chocolate eyes clouding with unshed tears though she is quick to dry them. "But you can't make me come home, nothing you say will change my mind."

Light and L share a concerned look, their daughter is as stubborn as they are and when her mind is set on something, she is difficult to reason with. They will need to approach this tactfully.

"You know Papa and I would miss you terribly if you left us, Nori," says Light gently, indicating himself and L. "We love you so much and we'd be heartbroken if you didn't come home."

"Your dad's right, little star," says L kindly. "We wouldn't be much of a family without you there."

Noriko shivers slightly, from the cold or her anger neither man can tell exactly but they wrap their arms around her regardless. She does not push them away as they expected her to do instead she snuggles more into their arms, tears now freely flowing down her cheeks as she allows her fathers to embrace her. They do not ask why she is crying right away; instead they simply wipe away her tears and hold her, hoping she will tell them why she is upset when she is ready.

"I can't come home," she says quietly. "You'll just make me go back to school and I don't want to."

"Why not, little star?" asks Light, kissing her temple. "You love school."

"I know," she sniffles. "It's just . . . they made fun of me today. I drew a family picture in art class: it was of you, Papa, Grandfather, Dad's family, Misa, Hideki and me. When I showed the class . . . everyone started laughing and saying that I have a weird family. I got so mad I threw an eraser at one of them and the teacher kept me after school while everyone else was allowed to go home."

Light and L look at each other after Noriko finishes speaking, both absolutely stunned by what their daughter said. Both are keenly aware that they are hardly a picturesque family, what with their lifestyle, occupations, and friends but they had no idea that it might hurt their daughter. In their efforts to try and give Noriko some semblance of a balanced home life they neglected to remember that the outside world was not going to be as accepting of how they lived.

"Nori, if you don't want to go back to that school, you don't have to," says Light and L nods in agreement. "What your classmates and teacher did was wrong but your reaction was just as bad, you can't attack someone just because they treat you badly, you have to be above that. Do you understand?"

"Yes," says Noriko and she put her small hands in theirs. "I don't think you're weird, I think I have the best family in the world." She looks up at them with eyes full of wisdom beyond her years and they smile at her, proud to have her as their child.

"Does this mean you'll come home with us after all?" asks L and Noriko nods enthusiastically.

"Now that that's settled," says Light and he suddenly stands up and scoops Noriko into his arms, making her squeal with laughter. "I think we should go home and have some hot chocolate and cookies, what do you say?"

"I say yes!" says L and the other two laugh as they head over to the car where Watari is patiently waiting.

Raising a child had proven to be the most arduous challenge of their lives but at the same time, they would hardly wish it any differently. Their little star is the one bright spot in their lives, shining brilliantly whenever they forget that the world is not as dark as it seems, banishing all demons from their souls.


	26. Chapter 26

Family History

"Your Russian is improving," says L encouragingly to his ten-year old daughter, who is sitting across from him scowling. They just spent the last two hours going over intermediate Russian, something Noriko seems to detest despite how well she is excelling. Teaching her English, Italian, and French was much easier by comparison.

"Why do I have to learn Russian anyway?" she whines slightly, glancing at the language book in her lap. "It's not like we're going to travel to Russia anytime soon."

L lets out a sigh, he had been hoping that these lessons would be a way to bond with his daughter, as speaking Russian is something he can do that Light cannot. To his credit, L did attempt to teach his husband Russian and had gotten a little farther than intermediate but Light vehemently asserted that he no longer needed the lessons and ceased. It would seem their daughter had been speaking to him because that was one of Light's arguments for stopping. L needs to switch up his tactics for dealing with her.

"Well, it would be a way for you and I to speak without Daddy listening in, and I could read you stories in their original language."

Noriko's hard gaze softens just a little. "That would be fun, I suppose."

' _At last, a victory,'_ he thinks happily so he decides to press his luck a little further, "You know, you were almost given a Russian name, before Misa and Daddy settled on the one you have."

"What was it going to be?" asks Noriko a little more eagerly than she expected.

"Lyuba," replies L, somewhat proudly. "It means 'love'."

Noriko smiles widely. "That's a really sweet name." She then realizes something. "Papa, are you Russian?"

L is taken aback by the question but he nods, his daughter has always been incredibly perceptive. "Yes, my mother was Russian and Italian."

"And your father?" inquires Noriko eagerly.

"Japanese and English," replies L, glancing up at his night black hair. If there was a surviving picture of his parents, he would point out to her each tiny detail on his face that resembles his parents.

Noriko frowns. "Why can't I be all of those things? I'm just Japanese."

L chuckles, reaching over to caress his daughter's cheek. "My dear, you are exactly what you should be, just like I am." He recalls something he promised her years ago on her first birthday. "Would you like to hear about your grandparents?"

"Yes!" she says happily and he gestures for her to join him on the other side of the desk. She closes the book and puts it on his desk before rushing over to her father, he picks her up and puts her on the chair beside him, the two of them sitting with their knees drawn up. He had gotten a bigger desk chair years ago when Noriko began sitting beside him, mimicking his posture to the letter. He has a sneaking suspicion that it drives Light crazy just how many of his mannerisms their daughter has taken a shine to.

"We need Peter for this story," says L and he reaches across the desk for the brown stuffed rabbit that was his but is now Noriko's. "Do you want to hold him?"

Noriko, who knows how important Peter is to her papa, shakes her head. "No, we should both hold him."

L smiles as he tucks the rabbit snugly between them. He then searches for the right words to begin this story, a story he heard only a few times in his life but committed to memory long ago. "My father's name was Calvin and my mother's name was Taisia. They met while at Oxford, they were both studying to be researchers; they wanted to travel and discover new things. It was common ground for them, which was good because my parents couldn't stand each other when they first met."

"You mean like Daddy and Misa?" asks Noriko and he struggles against laughing, wanting to keep this matter a little serious.

"I guess that's one way of putting it," agrees L with a slight grin. "My mother, from what I've been told, thought my father was a conceited Englishman who bought his way into the university. My father thought my mother was a cold Russian who must have been a spy for the country, he couldn't actually believe someone like her had gotten into Oxford. They were wrong of course, but they apparently didn't care."

"How could they get married if they didn't get along?" asks Noriko, snuggling closer to him. "Were they like you and Daddy?"

Again, his daughter's perception surprises him. "I suppose that's a way of looking at it. Anyway, my parents continuously tried to one up each other at school, sometimes resorting to sabotage and before they realized it they were each other's dearest friend. No one else could compare to them in intelligence, cunning, and resourcefulness so they came to the conclusion they were better together than working against each other." He decides to skip the part about how the huge argument that resulted in a long night of sex, that part could be for when she's older; or never, to be perfectly frank. "They married the day after they graduated and began traversing the globe, searching for new things and researching new ways of doing old tasks." He smiles warmly. "That's how they met Watari, they had an idea for a new invention and he was the one who ended up making it. Thus began their lifelong partnership."

Noriko's eyes widen. "What did they make?"

"That's classified," replies L mysteriously, biting back a grin when his daughter glares at him. "You have your father's glare down pat, my little star. Now, getting back to the story. I was born during one of their expeditions; I believe they were in India at the time, researching different medicinal uses for herbs and spices. My parents were over the moon with happiness when I was born, or so I was told." His voice becomes tighter and a little distant. "What I remember of them is boundless, endless love. They indulged my childish questions and took me with them wherever they went, my education from an early age was from my parents reading from books most would not see until university."

"You do that with me!" says Noriko excitedly. "Half my class hasn't even heard of a quarter of the books I've read or the subjects you've taught me."

L smiles fondly. "I know, I thought my parents' method of teaching was much better than any school." He puts his arm around her and draws her close, Peter still snugly between them. "My parents gave me Peter on my first birthday, like I did for you, a tradition I hope you will continue with your own child. I named him after a story character my father told me about, one of the few children's stories I ever heard. He was my only companion whenever I would move with my parents."

Noriko smiles before kissing Peter's fuzzy head. "He's a wonderful friend."

"That he is," agrees L and as he thinks about the next part of the story, he can feel his body tense; he begins to rub his feet together. "Nori, what I'm about to tell you is something I have not told anyone before, not even Daddy knows this about me." He looks over to make sure she is paying attention and she is, with an unyielding gaze. "My parents' methods were not always welcome and more often than not we were driven out of our home. This grew wearisome to my parents, who longed to have a home to do steady research in. Eventually we settled in Liberia, my parents had made several friends there before and were happy to be living there again." He takes a sharp breath. "One day when I was about four, I went to the village school to play with some of my friends and my parents stayed behind to examine some samples they had collected."

"You were four and going places by yourself?!" Noriko exclaims, obviously outraged. "In Liberia of all places!"

L shrugs. "It was a different time then, Noriko, and if it were up to me I would have let you do a great deal more at a younger age if your father hadn't insisted on babying you at every opportunity." He shakes his head. "You were perfectly capable of baking a cake at seven, you were doing quite well until he shouted and you dropped the pan full of batter."

Noriko nods, remembering that day quite vividly. She certainly learned never to bake a cake unless she knew her daddy would not be home for a while.

"Anyway," sighs L, not really looking forward to this part of the story, "when I returned home that day after playing, I noticed something strange. The door was knocked down and the plants my parents grew were broken as well. I remember being incredibly scared, wondering what could have happened. I began calling for my mother and father as I entered the house, careful not to disturb anything, and that's when I found them . . . they were dead in the middle of our sitting room." His dark eyes become dull and lifeless. "They had been shot several times. I might have been young but I knew something was terribly wrong when they didn't respond to my calls . . . they always did."

"Oh Papa," whispers Noriko and she takes his hand in hers.

L squeezes it, using it as a means to ground himself to the present moment and not drown in the past. "I screamed then, loudly. Suddenly someone was beside me, I remember thinking I was next but it was the village teacher, he heard me all the way in the village, which was a fair distance from my house. He held me for a while then took me into town, I stayed with him and his family until Watari could be contacted, and then he took me back to England. Their deaths remain my only unsolved mystery."

Silence falls between them but it is not oppressive, it is respectful. Both are mourning the loss of people they did not truly know and never will now. Noriko looks at her papa, a man who seems so strange to others but so awe-inspiring to her, a mystery to the world and the solution to many problems in her life. To know he endured so much from a young age and still retains some humanity just endears him to her even more. She moves from his side to his lap, wedging her way between his knees and chest and she puts her head on his shoulder.

"Papa," she says at last just as L wraps his arms around her, "would they have liked me?"

L smiles before kissing her cheek. "Yes, they would have adored you. They loved me a great deal so I'm sure they would have tried to give you the world." He holds her tighter. "And before you ask, they would've loved your daddy, too."

Noriko snuggles closer. "Papa, why did they name you L?"

"They didn't," admits L, the words coming so easily to him he wonders why he did not shared any of this with her sooner. "I have a different name, a Russian first name and an English middle name."

"What's your real name?" she asks, fully expecting him to not tell her. She knows her papa has many secrets and she will not learn them all, but this one, this small secret, she hopes he will find it in his heart to share with her.

L is about to tell her when he settles for writing his first name out on her skin, a type of test to see how her Russian really is progressing. He writes it several times in the same spot on her arm. He recalls learning his name when he was younger, writing it over and over again in several languages until he filled up pages in a notebook with his childish scrawling. His handwriting did not improve much over the years but he still remembers the shapes of the letters and their placement as if he has been writing it for years.

"Luka," she says softly and he nods. "Luka Lawliet. What does 'Luka' mean, Papa?"

"He who reigns over all," replies L, knowing the meaning by heart after looking it up right after his parents' murders. "Surprisingly appropriate, given my career."

Noriko nods. "Papa, does Daddy know your real name?"

L hesitates for a moment before shaking his head. "No, Little Star. Daddy doesn't know my real name, neither does Misa or Near or Mello or Matt. Only you, Watari, and myself know."

"Will you tell them?" she asks cautiously.

"Maybe someday," replies L noncommittally. "I don't like to talk about my past much, I fear it will make everyone look at me differently."

Noriko decides to change the subject for the time being. "What's your middle name?"

"James," he says with a slight grin. "I'm afraid it's a very common name, after some relation I never met."

"Can I have a middle name?" asks Noriko hopefully, enjoying the idea immensely.

"Japanese culture doesn't have middle names," L reminds her, although he hates to disappoint her.

Noriko frowns. "Can it be a secret like yours?"

' _Light's going to kill me for encouraging our daughter to keep secrets,'_ he thinks as he nods uncertainly. "You may, so long as you promise not to tell Daddy."

"I promise!" she says quickly, her eyes sparkling like diamonds. "I already know what I want my middle name to be, Papa."

"And what is that?" asks L, fully expecting it to be some obscure Western name.

"Taisia," she answers proudly and L almost drops her out of shock. "Noriko Taisia Yagami."

L is floored. He expected a meaningless name, a popular one that Misa might have told her about or at the very least a character in a book. He did not expected her to choose his mother's name as her secret middle name but he is happy beyond words; in hindsight he should have seen it coming after all they discussed. He kisses her temple and settles her back in his lap, holding her as if she might slip away and out of his life forever. "A good choice."


	27. Chapter 27

Adoption

Noriko adjusts the headphones over her ears, hoping to block out the sounds of the newly born twin brothers' cries. She checks her phone and sighs, her dads are not going to be here for another forty-eight hours and she is counting down every second until they arrive. She detests the fact she is forced to stay here overnight while her parents go to a couple's retreat, courtesy of the NPA.

' _Talk about a last resort,'_ snorts Noriko as she works on her algebra homework. With all of her other babysitters away on the retreat and her Aunt Sayu working on her internship, the only option was Misa and Hideki. It is not like Noriko did not fight to watch herself for the weekend. She valiantly argued against staying with her biological mother and her husband, the biggest reason being she did not want to spend two days with Misa's sons. Her fathers, for reasons beyond her comprehension, made her stay with them.

Suddenly her headphones are ripped off her head and she whirls around in her desk chair, coming face to face with a very irritated and fatigued Hideki Ryuga. "What do you want?" she asks scathingly. She and Hideki have a silent agreement to stay as far away from each other as possible and she greatly despises it whenever he breaks this rule.

"Don't take that tone of voice with me," snarls Hideki as he grabs her wrist and drags her out of her room. Outside of her room, the crying is even louder. "You're helping me with your brothers."

"They're not my brothers," snaps Noriko as she struggles against his grip. "And let me go!"

"Only if you promise to help with Hideo and Masumi," replies Hideki as he drags her into the nursery where the crying is loudest.

"I promise nothing," she says as she is dragged to the twin cribs. She wrinkles her nose at the smell; apparently they need their diapers changed. "Why can't Misa help you? They're her kids."

Hideki rolls his eyes as he picks up Hideo, his namesake. "You know she's recovering from her C-section. And if we don't make them stop crying, she'll come in here and insist on helping when she should be resting."

"I hope she blames you," mumbles Noriko as she picks up Masumi, Misa's namesake. She holds the baby and goes over to the nearby changing table while Hideki tries to calm down the other baby. She rolls her eyes again. "Honestly, how much of an idiot is he?" she asks the baby in her arms as she puts him on the table.

That is the first time she has held one of Misa's babies.

"Don't get used to it," she says as she unfastens the baby's onesie and fetches a clean diaper. She places it under the baby's dirty one and grabs some wipes before she even dares open it. When she does, she almost vomits from the smell, barely mustering enough courage to return to the task but she does and manages to change the diaper in less than a minute.

"What the hell are you eating?" asks Noriko as she tosses the dirty diaper in the trash.

Masumi stops crying as she picks him back up, she is at least glad for that. She looks over at Hideki and snickers; he is struggling with changing the other baby's diaper. "How long have you been doing this, Hideki?" she asks with a giggle.

He glares at her over his shoulder. "Longer than you."

"And yet, I'm done first," quips Noriko as she puts the baby back in his crib. She has no interest in having any more to do with it than necessary. Normally she adores babies and loves playing with them and helping out with them, but these two are different. She just does not like these babies, at all.

"You know, you should respect me more," says Hideki angrily as he tries to hold a dirty diaper and wipe the baby simultaneously.

"Why? You're not my parent," retorts Noriko as she slinks back towards the door, determined to get to her room and lock the door.

"Well, neither is Ryuzaki," says Hideki, gagging on the smell.

Noriko's eyebrows shoot up. "What are you talking about? He's my papa, you're nothing to me."

Hideki chuckles. "He never adopted you. He might be married to your father, but he's legally not your parent." He finally fixes the baby's clean diaper and tosses the dirty one in the bin. "So that means, he's just like me. Hell, he could leave your father and would probably be glad that he isn't a real parent to you. He wouldn't have to put up with a brat like you anymore." He smirks. "I know I'd be happy about that."

Noriko says nothing in response. She is too stunned to do anything except stand and fight back tears. Hideki's words scream at her in her mind and she barely keeps from punching him, her hate and anger rising steadily in her chest. Her papa is nothing like Hideki. Her papa is kind and loving and smart and funny. He treats her like his daughter and an equal, even if a drop of his blood does not run in her veins, she is more his daughter than she is Misa's or Hideki's.

"You're wrong!" she exclaims, her expression dark, and Hideki looks over his shoulder at her with mild concern. "My papa is nothing like you! He is everything you aren't and never will be; you just wish you could be like him because he's better than you! You're scum!"

She storms out of the room before he can retort and hurries to her room. She throws herself on the bed and buries her face in the pillow. Her breathing is ragged as she comes down from her high; it does not help that at that precise moment she recalls her papa telling her that she and her dad share the same temper. Her papa seemed scared when he said it.

After a few moments she pulls herself up and reaches for her purse. She knows she will likely get reprimanded for her behavior but she hardly cares, she told off Hideki like she wanted to do for years and she defended her papa's honor. If anything, her dad would be proud of her. She pulls out her phone, the one directly linked to her parents and brothers. She opens it and presses the speed dial for her papa's phone; of the two of them, he is the most likely to answer.

"This is Ryuzaki," says L on the other end and Noriko releases a shaky breath.

"This is Navi," she says and she hears a slight intake of breath and the scraping of a chair on the ground. It is a risk using her codename, but this is kind of an emergency, one she needs to straighten out before they come home and hear Hideki's version of events.

"What's wrong?" he asks, his voice low and she can hear that he is slightly out of breath.

"I did something bad," she says, curling up with her knees to her chin. She feels like she is six years old all over again. "I . . . I yelled at Hideki . . . and lost my temper."

Silence.

"Is he alive?" asks L, sounding stoic.

Noriko shakes her head before remembering that he cannot see her. "No, I didn't even hit him. I just yelled at him and said some nasty things."

She hears him exhale.

"Good," he says, sounding relieved. "I mean you shouldn't speak to him that way. You're a guest in his house and should be more gracious or whatever bull your father would say in this situation."

She giggles. "That sounds like him."

"What did he say, Nori?" asks L curiously. "I know you and he don't get along but you've never gone off on him before."

Noriko worries her bottom lip for a few moments. "We got into a discussion about how I should respect Hideki more and I asked why since he isn't my parent. He then said that he was as much a parent to me as you are . . . because you never adopted me, I'm still Dad's daughter and you're just married to him, which means you're my stepfather . . . like Hideki thinks he is." She swallows hard. She is not sure how he will react to what she says next. "And then . . . he said that you could leave Dad and be happy that you weren't my parent because you could walk away and never have to deal with a brat like me anymore."

Silence greets her and she wonders if he dropped the phone.

"Papa?" she asks tentatively.

"I can only imagine what you said after that," he says at last and she exhales, glad that he is not too angry. "Noriko, do you know why I haven't put it in writing that you're my daughter?"

"No, sir," she replies.

"It's because your dad and I thought it would be best for you to make that decision," he explains in a gentle voice. "Becoming my daughter, legally, would mean that Misa would give up her parental rights to you. The reason she has any is because of an agreement she signed when agreeing to carry our baby. Your dad and I thought it would be too cruel to have you never know your mother, so that's why we allowed Misa contact. There is a clause in it that says that when I adopt you, she will forfeit her remaining parental rights in favor of me." He clears his throat. "It seems it's time to revisit that arrangement."

Noriko listens with rapt attention. She knows he is going to ask her to make a decision regarding this and she wants to ensure she understands absolutely everything. "So if that happens, Misa will no longer have any legal reason to see or contact me, right? No more visitations?"

"No more than you want," replies L calmly. "You can have a relationship with your mother, if you so desire, but she could not take you from us nor could she fight for more privileges."

"I don't think she'd ever try to take me," says Noriko with a smile. "She's smart enough not to mess with you and Dad."

L chuckles. "I certainly hope so, otherwise she's in for a nasty surprise."

It is her turn to laugh. "Papa, you're wicked." Her laughter subsides and she grows serious again. "I know that I'm your daughter already, you've always been my papa and always will be, but I don't want anyone to question it. I want you to adopt me, Papa."

"It would be an honor, my little star."

The process to adopt Noriko is not an easy one. Despite the many agreements in place, Misa wept and raged at the thought of never being able to call Noriko her daughter. It even got to the point that Hideki threatened several times to fight for full custody of Noriko, despite not having any affection for her; he just wanted his wife happy again. Needless to say, L and Light fought tooth and nail to prevent that, even going so far as to threaten his career with several compromising situations his PR rep kept under wraps all these years. He caved and on her thirteenth birthday, Noriko Yagami officially became Noriko (Taisia) Yagami-Lawliet, sharing the same name as her beloved fathers.


	28. Chapter 28

Anniversary

The first thing that hits Light when he wakes up is an intense soreness in his hips and lower back. He groans slightly as he turns over on his side, wondering what in hell happened the previous night to put him in such a state. He is about to fall back asleep when he suddenly remembers what happened and how he ended up so sore. Yesterday was his and L's wedding anniversary.

"Good morning," says L as Light sits up. L is already sitting up in bed, a cup of tea in one hand and his tablet in the other, reading over some files Matt sent him that morning. He's a little disappointed that Light woke up, he planned on making him breakfast in bed, but he can hardly complain at the sight of a tousled and somewhat sleepy Light.

"Morning," says Light as he stretches, wincing slightly before leaning back against the headboard and pillows. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine," replies L as he moves closer to Light. "You could've slept in longer, it is Saturday and we don't have any immediate plans."

Light rests his head against L's, reading the tablet between them. "I know, but waking up sore doesn't exactly put me in the mood to sleep."

L can barely keep from grinning as he puts his teacup down and reaches for two tablets of aspirin, which he then hands to Light, having had a feeling that after last night he would be in desperate need. "Here you are," he says kindly as he deposits the pills in Light's waiting palm.

Light immediately throws them back and swallows. "How many times?" he asks after he's taken the medication, sleep still lacing his voice.

"Six," replies L with a huge grin and then Light makes a face. "Don't worry, you showered before you went to sleep. I assisted, hence the sixth time."

No one would believe him if he told them, but Light is not the most aware when he first wakes up. It often takes him half an hour before his mind turns on and in that time, L generally informs him of several things to get him up to speed by the time he's fully awake. It's one of many treasured moments and secrets about his husband that L keeps all for himself.

"That doesn't even come close to our record," muses Light as he runs his hand through his still damp hair. "Remember our honeymoon?"

L smiles deviously. "How could I forget? We did it on every piece of furniture in each room at least twice. My favorite was on the balcony, having you bent over the breakfast table or on my lap when I was sitting in one of the wicker chairs." He puts down his tablet and reaches for Light, tangling his fingers in his silken tresses. "It's a good thing we were in a secluded spot, otherwise we might not be welcomed back in France."

Light smirks as he puts his arm around L, pulling him close before kissing his forehead. "It was certainly a memorable experience. How about next year for our anniversary we recreate it? Just me and you and that little cottage in the French countryside?"

"How about we do it sooner than that?" asks L, barely suppressing a moan. He climbs onto Light's lap, straddling him before sealing their lips together in a slow and passionate kiss.

Despite the longevity of their marriage, the number of times they've gone without each other, and the various obstacles put in their path L still craves Light's touch and affection like a drug. He once thought that after some point, they'd both become tired of each other and resume a less physical relationship, but they have yet to reach that point. Even with grey in their hair and lines starting to crease their once smooth skin, they still can't stop touching each other.

L starts to rock against Light, brushing his erect cock against Light's half-hard one. The touch burns like fire and L chases the feeling, grinding hard against his husband as he seeks to bring him to full hardness, eager to have him inside. Light grips L's hips, trying to restrain his movement but it doesn't work, if anything it just makes L more determined in his mission; and soon, Light is holding him close, panting in his ear as desire overwhelms him turning him into a quivering mess under L's touch.

"I need you," says L as he starts to assault Light's neck, adding to the already impressive collection of love bites already on the man's tan skin. "Fuck, I need you so badly, Light."

"I need to prep you," says Light, his voice so thick with arousal that he's impressed he can even form a coherent thought. "Give me the lube."

"Already done," pants L as his blunt fingernails drag up and down Light's sides. He needs to be joined to Light, touching him somehow, anything just to be closer. "What the hell do you think I was doing while you were sleeping?"

Light's eyes widen in astonishment. "You were still horny? Even after six times?"

"Fuck yes," says L roughly and Light lets out a small moan as L continues his assault. L rarely swears, at least he rarely swears this much, and he only does it in two instances: When he's really angry and when he's really aroused. "What happened last night could probably keep me hard for days."

"So you enjoyed your present, then?" asks Light a smile in his voice and on his lips. The smile drops as a hiss escapes his mouth. He looks down and glares at L. "Warn me before you do that!"

L feigns an innocent smile before he lovingly kisses Light's nipple where he bit it. "Now if I did that, we wouldn't have any fun."

Light rolls his eyes. "Sadistic bastard."

"Only for you, my love," says L as he sits up and rolls his hips against Light. "Can you please fuck me now? I don't think I can hold back much more."

That's enough for a warning for Light to immediately comply. He made the mistake once in the past of teasing L until he said something similar and then continued to tease him; what happened after left Light unable to actually walk for two days. It was an awkward phone call to his father to say the very least. Thank god he bought the falling down the stairs story.

L sinks down onto Light's cock and lets out a loud moan that echoes in the room. It's moments like those that make Light grateful that L had the foresight to soundproof their bedroom when they first moved in; it was the result of a conversation they had regarding having a child and Light mentioned that they'd probably have to be quiet during sex to not wake Misa while she lived with them. L had been appalled at the idea and instead hired a contractor to soundproof the room. It seems to work because Misa never said she could hear them, but even still, Light wonders if L deliberately gets loud just to challenge the limits of the walls and door.

L sets a brutal pace, bouncing on top of Light with all he's worth, while Light tries desperately to hang on. Light made the initial mistake early on in their relationship that L would be inexperienced and slow to warm up to sex. Their first time instantly changed that misconception. Their first time ended up leading to their second, then their third, and finally their fourth before they passed out from exhaustion.

"Wh-What are you thinking a-about?" pants L when he notices the distant look in Light's lust-blown eyes.

"Us," replies Light gruffly as he moves his hips to thrust. The urge is overwhelming and he knows that L is on top to give his sore hips a break but he can't help himself, it feels so good. "How we haven't really changed."

L puts more weight on Light's hips, preventing him from moving as freely. "In some areas, that's true," agrees L as he wraps his arms around Light's neck and begins moving again, sprinkling soft kisses across Light's face. "In others, not really. We've definitely become better spouses to each other."

Light nods as he holds L closer. "Definitely. Now we communicate instead of bottling everything up."

"And I'm around more," adds L, kissing Light soundly before resuming his brutal pace, burying his face in the crook of Light's neck. "Fuck, I can't believe I was ever away from you."

"I know," moans Light as L starts sucking on his neck. "If you left now, I think I'd go crazy. I can't be without you, Luka, never."

L moves to look at him at the sound of his full name being used by his husband. Light found out his true name some years ago under less than pleasant circumstances and since has made it a point to use it whenever he can. He hasn't called him 'L' in years. He leans in and kisses him deeply, passionately, with as much love as he can muster beneath the lust. He loves it when Light uses his name.

"I love you," says L as he pulls away, kissing the corner of Light's mouth as he does. "Until the sun dies."

"I love you, too," says Light, entwining their hands. "Until the stars fall."

They smile at each other, their desperate need abated for the moment to enjoy the serenity of still being in love after all these years. Last night they had celebrated that fact but somehow it means more that they still can even when it's not a special day on the calendar. They both figure it's the secret to their marriage's success, to always be in love and to show it somehow to the other each and every day.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" they hear their daughter shriek across the hall. "DAD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! PAPA, WHY ARE YOU TOUCHING HIM LIKE THAT?!"

The shouts break the calm and L immediately leaps from Light's lap and back into his spot on the bed just as their bedroom door slams open. They barely cover themselves before Noriko is striding up to their bed, still in her pajamas, her phone in hand and a dangerous expression on her young face.

"Care to explain?" she asks angrily, looking directly at Light as she speaks.

"That depends on what I need to explain," he says, barely keeping his composure. His mind is racing with possible scenarios as to what made Noriko scream like she did and most of them involve her hearing them just moments ago.

Noriko comes over to his side of the bed and extends her phone out to him. He takes it and notes that her hands are trembling, something that only happens whenever she's really angry or incredibly embarrassed. Light would know he shares the same tick. L moves over closer and rests his head on Light's shoulder. The screen is displaying a paused video; barely a minute in to the seven-minute time and Light feels as if his heart stopped. On the screen is him from the previous night, during the time he was giving L a lap dance at some high end strip club.

"Oh I see someone recorded your performance," mutters L and Light glares at him. L calmly meets the fiery gaze and gives a half-shrug. "It's not surprising, you put on quite the show."

"Is that what you were doing last night?" demands Noriko, sounding like a parent scolding their misbehaving child. "Are you moonlighting as a stripper, Dad?"

Light looks up at Noriko and gives her a harsh look that sends her backing down. "No, I'm not moonlighting as a stripper," he says sternly as he looks back at the video. He cringes slightly upon seeing himself dressed in a purple and black sequined corset, black lace shorts, fishnet stockings and black high heels. "It was my present for your papa for our anniversary."

Noriko looks horrified. Perhaps he should have just said he was a stripper, she probably would've taken that better than the truth.

"Oh god!" she moans, hiding her face in her hands. "Dad, people from my _school_ sent me that video! It went viral!"

Light drops the phone and stares blankly ahead.

"I can understand why," says L teasingly as he smiles at his husband. "It was a brilliant performance done by a very skilled individual."

"I didn't learn to do that so I could impress millions of strangers!" rages Light, thoroughly humiliated. If kids from Noriko's school saw this, then it only stood to reason that people he knew saw it too. "All I wanted to do was do something a little racy for our anniversary since you said you didn't want any big presents this year."

"I got one anyway," says L with a smirk, his retort turning both his husband and daughter into blushing messes. "Don't worry, Light, I'll call Matt and we can have this fixed in a couple of hours."

Noriko snatches her phone back and avoids making eye contact with either of her parents. "If you need me, I'll be in my room for the foreseeable future."

She practically sprints out of their room and Light collapses into the pillows the moment she's gone.

How did this happen? All he wanted to do was something new for L, something that would be memorable. Now it's turned him into an Internet sensation and mentally scarred his child for the rest of her life. If this happened to anyone else, he would've laughed at the fact a parent could scar their child with less than a minute of embarrassing footage, but this is no laughing matter. Noriko can't even look at him or L for that matter; he can only imagine what his husband is doing in that video. He can vividly recall most of the events from the previous night and none of them make him confident that Noriko isn't mentally destroyed for life.

"I'm sorry, Light," says L, rubbing Light's chest. "I'll take care of this. Matt will delete all of the footage, don't worry."

"Can he delete the images from Nori's brain?" he asks with a sigh. "She's never going to speak to us again, Luka."

L shrugs. "She will eventually, right now she's just in shock. It'll wear off and she'll be back to normal."

"I highly doubt it," Light laments, regretting several recent decisions. "I never should've done that. What kind of idiot am I?"

"The kind that wanted to surprise his husband," says L soothingly, moving his hand to caress Light's cheek. "If this hadn't happened, would you regret what you did?"

Light shakes his head. There isn't a point in lying. He enjoyed what he did last night, and the aftermath had been extraordinary. He'd be a fool to say he regrets it.

L smiles kindly at him. "Then don't beat yourself up too much." He then moves away from Light and turns towards the bedside table, reaching into the drawer for his cellphone. He turns it on and quickly dials Matt's number. "Hello, Matt? It's L. Yes, I need you to do me a favor." He looks back at Light, who is watching him curiously. "Oh so you already know. That's fine, makes this easier." Light groans and L gestures for him to be quiet. "Yes, I need you to do a mass deletion. Every copy of it, even those that have been downloaded to personal hard drives." He then cups his hand over his mouth and leans away from Light. "Save one copy for my personal collection."

"Luka, no!"

"Luka, yes."

"Dad, Papa, no!"


End file.
